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Fat Cats and Big Dogs:
Tips for Dealing with Animal Obesity
I have a confession to make. I have a fat cat. Yes, I admit it! One of my cats is fat. This cat, who is oh-so-creatively named Kitten, is a Maine-coon cross, so you have a fairly large cat to start out. Make her 24lbs and you get the picture. She’s larger than many small dogs! Why am I telling you this? Because I want you all to know that fat animals happen to everyone (even veterinarians), and if I can get Kitten down to the somewhat slender 18lbs she is today, you can do the same with your own furry companions. Read on and I’ll let you in on my secrets.
As with people, obesity is a major health concern in our companion animals. Some people estimate that over a third of our companion animals are overweight or obese. Often it is caused by simple overfeeding and decreased activity, but it can also be caused by several medical conditions. You should discuss with your veterinarian any possible pre-existing medical conditions before starting a weight loss plan with your pet.
Obesity is associated with a number of health issues affecting the cardiovascular, respiratory and skeletal systems. Overweight pets suffer from heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, heat intolerance and a number of other problems. It also becomes more difficult for animals to groom themselves properly and they have decreased stamina and immune function. Studies have shown that keeping your dog at its ideal weight can even delay the onset of osteoarthritis by up to two years! That is an incredible incentive, especially with our large breed dogs, to keep them slim and trim. And fat is not just an inert part of your pet’s body. It is an active organ that can release certain factors that further inflammation in arthritis and play a role in insulin resistance, potentially leading to diabetes. Hmm, prolong lifespan, prevent diabetes, lower blood pressure, and delay osteoarthritis?! That sounds like some pretty good reasons to keep our pets from getting overweight, don’t you think?
Now, many people recognize if their pets are overweight, but it can be hard to subjectively assess that – after all, it is hard to compare a barrel-shaped pug to a long-legged greyhound. Dogs and cats come in all different sizes, so the best way to assess your animal’s weight is to determine their Body Condition Score on a scale of 1-9. A BCS of 4-5/9 is ideal. A BCS of 1-3/9 is too thin and 6-9/9 is too heavy.
1. Try to feel for ribs. You should easily be able to palpate the ribs without much pressure. If you can see the ribs, they are too thin. If you can’t feel the ribs easily, they are overweight.
2. Look at your animal from above. If you can see a “waist”, that is ideal. If there is no waist, they are overweight.
Most veterinary offices have “body condition scoring” charts to refer to and help determine your pet’s body condition. Check out this website by Purina to help determine your pet’s body condition score: Body Condition Scoring by Purina
Now that you have determined if you pet is overweight or not, the next step is determining an accurate diet history to identify problem areas. What kind and how much do you feed? How often and how many treats do you give a day? Do you feed table scraps? Do relatives, neighbors, or friends feed your pets too? How often do they get any exercise? An accurate diet history will allow you to formulate a weight-loss plan that avoids any problems.
Here are the basic steps in any weight-loss plan:
1. Talk with your veterinarian about an appropriate pet food and proper amount to feed. Just like people, animals may respond better to one diet over another. The goal is to decrease your pet’s caloric intake in all areas – by decreasing the amount you feed, eliminating table scraps and treats, or even switching to a lower calorie food. It can be tricky to determine the best type or quantity to feed, so it may take a little tweaking to find what works for your pet.
2. Cut out ALL treats. Make sure all family members understand that treats and table scraps are now off limits. A diet does not work if your pet can go eat at the neighbor’s house! Low calorie treats such as carrots, green beans or prescription treats are acceptable alternatives. You can even cook low-cal treats from their food to give as acceptable treats.
3. Increase the amount of exercise if possible. Take longer or more frequent walks with your dog. Use a laser pointer or toys to get your cat to be active.
4. Weigh your pet weekly and assess if they are actually losing weight. If they are not losing weight, talk to your veterinarian about other diet options. Do not give up! Remember, every pet is a little different and may respond better to one diet over another.
Most diets fail because owners are not willing to restrict the amount they feed or cannot stop themselves from giving too many treats. It can be hard to get your neighbor, mailperson, grandkids, etc to stop overfeeding your pet. Here are some solutions to the most common complaints we here about weight-loss plans:
1. They act like they are starving! Trust us; you are probably not starving your pet. If your pet is always acting hungry, try feeding several smaller meals throughout the day, so they always have food in their stomach. You can also add canned pumpkin or squash to their food to increase the amount you feed without increasing calories. If that still does not help, you may need to switch to a lower calorie food that allows you to feed a larger quantity to keep them satisfied.
2. My husband/neighbor/wife keeps sneaking treats to him! This can be a tough one. Try explaining to that person the health risks associated with obesity and that they are actually hurting the pet by giving so many treats. Offer healthy alternatives like carrots or green beans as treats. If they will not stop, adjust your diet plan to include that source of calories by further restricting the amount you feed.
3. I have two/four/fifteen animals! Putting one pet on a diet is tough when you have multiple pets, especially if you feed everyone else free-choice. Try switching to scheduled meal times or feeding the other animals away from the one on the diet. Or feed everyone the lower calorie food and supplement any animals that need more calories.
4. It’s just his winter weight. We understand that no one wants to take their dog for a long walk during our cold winters, but if your dog is exercising less, you should be feeding less. Animals gain weight during the winter because we feed them too much and exercise them too little. To compensate for the decrease in activity, feed your pet a lower calorie food during the winter.
So what did I do with Kitten? For starters, I fed all my cats separately so she couldn’t go sneaking off to eat anyone else’s food. Then I tried nearly every weight-loss food out there until I finally hit one that worked for her. Kitten did well on a very high protein, but extremely low calorie dry food. Her daily portions were measured out in several small meals, so there was no way to overfeed her. I also weighed her every week to make sure she continued to lose weight. Sounds simple? It wasn’t. It was a lot of work to get Kitten to lose all that weight, so trust me; I know how hard it will be with your own pets. But was it worth it? Definitely. I know she’s a happier, healthier cat because of it, and I can look forward to many more years of picking her cat hair off my clothes.
I hope this article helps you understand obesity better in our companion animals and gives you some ways to decrease your own pet’s health risk. If you want more information about this topic or help starting your own pet on a weight-loss plan, please check out our VIN pet library link to the left or feel free to contact our hospital. Dogs and cats that maintain an ideal weight throughout their lifetimes lead happier, healthier and longer lives than overweight animals. Here’s the proof; studies have shown that by keeping dogs at their ideal body weight, owners can increase their lifespan by 1.8 years! Think about that next time your pet starts begging for another cookie and take them for a walk instead.
Update: As of April 2009, Kitten is now a slender 17lbs!!
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