Is Your Pet Fat?
05/18/2010 12:36 PM | The Vets at Drs4Pets
Obesity in Pets: What Can You Do?
Is your pet overweight or even obese? Obesity in pets is an epidemic that mirrors the problem in the human population. The 2009 Pet Obesity Study by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention reports that an estimated 51.5% of dogs and cats in the United States are overweight or obese. This is equivalent to 89 million pets! It is also the number one nutritional disease in pets of western societies.
Dr. Ernie Ward, a veterinarian in North Carolina, recently wrote a book called Chow Hounds: Why Our Dogs are Getting Fatter – A Vet’s Plan to Save Their Lives. Unfortunately, many pet parents do not recognize that their pet is not in ideal body condition and many veterinarians are not spending as much time as they should educating these pet parents about the harm they are causing their furry family members.
Obesity is harmful to the health of your pet dog or cat. Carrying extra weight puts stress on the joints and can lead to pain and decreased activity. Some breeds of dogs are more likely to become overweight- Shetland Sheepdogs, Golden Retrievers, Dachshunds, Cocker Spaniels, Labrador Retrievers, Dalmatians, Rottweilers and English Bulldogs to name a few. This excess weight can contribute to orthopedic problems such as ruptured cruciate ligaments in and dislocation of the knees (ex: Labradors and Yorkies, respectively) and disk disease in the back (ex: Dachshunds or Bassets). These problems require surgical correction and recovery is more difficult because of the extra weight that the dog is carrying. In addition, obtaining blood and placing catheters for surgical procedures, medication or fluid delivery are more difficult.
In overweight cats, diabetes is a relatively common diagnosis. Just like overweight humans, overweight cats can develop diabetes that is responsive to weight reduction and dietary management. These cats may not require insulin therapy once their weight is decreased. Additional metabolic or systemic disease processes that affect our overweight pets include but are not limited to heatstroke, pancreatitis, hypothyroidism, hyperadrenocorticism (cushings), urinary tract disease, hypertension, and respiratory distress. In addition to contributing the occurrence and management of these conditions, obesity negatively affects recovery. In a retrospective study of obese dogs diagnosed with heatstroke, 82% of those dogs died, compared to only 42% of dogs not obese. Thats almost twice as likely for obese dogs to have a negative outcome compared to dogs who were not.
What is it about being overweight that causes additional risk? Fats cells, known as adipose, in and of themselves release hormones and inflammatory instigators that worsen and complicate the disease processes mentioned above. So, not only do these overweight pets suffer from the added weight on their bodies and fat cells around their organs, the chemistry in their bodies is altered in an unfavorable direction.
So, what is the best approach to managing your pet’s body condition? The first step is to enlist the help of your veterinarian. Your veterinarian can teach you how to evaluate your pet’s body condition. The ideal is lean body condition, which to many pet owners appears to be a “skinny” pet. The ribs should not be visible, but should be very easily felt when running your hands along your pet’s ribcage. From the side, your pet should have a tucked up abdomen (no flab hanging down from that kitty’s belly) and if your pet is standing up and you are looking down on them, there should be an obvious waist between the end of the ribcage and the beginning of the hips. If your pet is found to be above the ideal body condition score, your veterinarian can help by calculating the required calorie intake for your pet to achieve the ideal condition.
Modification of your pet’s diet, along with increased activity, should help your pet return to a healthier condition in short order. Dr. Ward points out that one pig ear is equivalent to a six pack of sodas, so a daily pig ear is adding a lot of unnecessary calories to a dog’s diet.
Changing your pet’s diet might be beneficial, at least until the ideal condition is achieved. There are very effective diets available through your veterinarian and some over the counter. Consult your veterinarian about which diet is best for your pet. One of the challenges we faced with the low fat, high fiber weight loss diets was poor palatability. However, these diets are often very effective at promoting weight loss and many pets will eat them without any trouble. Foods made with high protein and moderate fat content will help your pet lose weight without as much trouble with palatability. The high protein content will promote the sparing of muscle tissue during the weight loss process and will force your pet’s body to burn fat for energy. Added L-carnitine, a vitamin like nutrient, promotes metabolism of fat for energy and protects the health of the liver. This nutrient also helps regulate blood sugar levels, an important benefit for overweight cats.
Once your pet achieves ideal body condition, don’t stop being deligent about your pets health. Continuing with a lower fat food, appropriate treats, and exercise will help maintain the beautiful new body that your pet is living in!
References
Beyond the Scale: Canine Obesity. Veterinary Forum Vol 26, No. 4(A) April 2009.
The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention - www.petobesityprevention.com
DVM360 - http://veterinarycalendar.dvm360.com/avhc/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=598995