Tipping the scale

Written by: Samantha Haines
Registered Animal Health Technologist

As a society we are trained from a young age to watch our weight.  We are constantly bombarded by ads, supermodels and movie stars.  Many of us might even be on the Atkins diet, weight watchers, or other diet/excercise programs. While we are counting each calorie that we reach for, we are tossing treats to our pets without a thought as to how this might affect our best friend.

Many times I find myself saying "Buster is overweight," and the owner will always have some excuse to explain why he might be that way.  "Oh he just filling out," "Thats just his breed," or "He's just fluffy."  I'm sorry... filling out what?  Supersize my Yorkie?  Obesity is just as real for them as it is for you and me, and until we can accept and recognize obesity in our pets, we can't help them.

So how do we know if Buster is actually overweight?  How can we possibly know, when a dog can come in every size imaginable? Each patient is scored on a scale from 1-9 or 1-5, regardless of breed, size and weight.

 

Get yourself accustomed to this chart, and know what to look for. An ideal dog/cat is a 3/5 or  4-5/9 Be honest with Buster and yourself. You are not doing him any favors by sugar coating the truth. 

So why do we care so much about obesity?  We estimate that 60-70 % of our patients are overweight.  Obesity leads to the same things that it does in people.  Heart disease, liver disease, diabetes, arthritis, pain, reduced mobility and a decreased quality of life, need I say more?

Weight loss in our pets can be challenging, especially with cats.  Try telling your cat to get some excercise.  I am sure that will go over well!  Together through nutrition, excercise and veterinary care we can help your pet shed those extra pounds.

Your veterinarian will help decide if there are any underlying conditions that might be contributing to weight gain (hypothyroidism, cushings disease, tumors etc.), and other medical conditions that need to be taken into consideration when selecting a weight loss diet.  We can then help you to find a diet that might be a suitable solution for weight loss for your pet.  Our goal is not to starve your pet, or deprive him of nutrients, but to put him on a controlled weight loss program based on nutrition and science. 

Our Veterinary Technicians are trained in canine and feline nutrition and can assist you in making good choices for your pet.  Please call the office to book a Nutritional Consultation for your pet today.