National Pet Obesity Week runs from 15 – 19 October 2015. With this in mind, we would like to highlight a few aspects on pet obesity.
Assessing your pet for signs of obesity
An overwhelming number of pets are overweight and this has serious health implications including arthritis, diabetes, breathing problems and heart disease.
Some signs that your pet may be overweight are difficulty in walking, slow movement, shortness of breath, bad temperament and sleeping more than usual. If you think your pet is showing any of these symptoms, please make an appointment with a Veterinary Nurse to discuss a weight reduction and exercise programme.
Ideally you should be able to feel your pet’s ribs when running your hand gently down their side. You should not be able to see the ribs and also should not have to dig in to feel them! When looking from above you should see a waistline behind the ribs. Looking from the side you should see the abdomen tucked in behind the ribs.
Risk Factors
Obesity in dogs accelerates their risk in developing Osteoarthritis. This is due to excess strain placed on the joints of the dog as a result of extra weight carried.
Obesity in dogs accelerates their risk in developing Osteoarthritis. This is due to excess strain placed on the joints of the dog as a result of extra weight carried.
These dogs are often not willing, or able to exercise as much, which can further aggravate their condition.
The main risk factor in overweight cats is Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD). Independent research suggests that 30-50% of cats are obese, and this makes them 2.5 times more likely to develop FLUTD.
Older pets tend to expend less calories and therefore have a tendency to gain weight, as do certain breed types such as Labradors. Sterilisation of pets can also slow down their metabolism, so one needs to keep a close watch on their weight after surgery.
Weight gain is seldom associated with a medical disorder and this would require diagnosis by a Veterinarian.
Exercise
Veterinary staff attending to overweight pets will encourage an increase in exercise and appropriate dietary adjustments.
Veterinary staff attending to overweight pets will encourage an increase in exercise and appropriate dietary adjustments.
Cats can be encouraged to follow you from room to room, or up and down stairs. They will also chase a torch light in the evenings. Use toys to encourage your cat to play, and hide his food so that he has to ‘hunt’ for it.
Dogs enjoy regular walks - walk at a constant pace and don’t start by walking too far. Rather build up over a few weeks. Walking on different surfaces such as beach sand or in water, provides extra resistance which encourages fat loss and lean muscle gain. Playing ‘fetch’ with dogs in the garden is also a very good method of exercise, but only if your dog is not arthritic.
Food
The food your pet eats plays an important part in their overall health and well-being.
The food your pet eats plays an important part in their overall health and well-being.
There are new foods available that treat obesity and arthritis in dogs simultaneously. Hills have developed Metabolic + Mobility. Of benefit is that you will not require a transition period between the changes of food types and can now rely on one food to manage both conditions. This is an enhanced weight reduction programme to the Hills J/D Reduced Calorie.
Hills have also introduced Feline Metabolic + Urinary which offers an improved reduction diet programme to the current C/D Reduced Calorie food option.
Visit www.hillspet.co.za for more information on pet obesity and their diverse product range.
News supplied by Umgeni Veterinary Clinic.