Preventing Obesity in Pets
Posted December 10, 2015
Like humans, pets can become obese and develop excess body fat,
which can lead to serious health problems, such as diabetes or
degenerative joint disease. In order to provide your furry best
friend with the highest quality of life and increase their life
span, be sure to follow these simple steps to prevent your pet from
becoming obese.
Weight gain in pets is often a result of overfeeding and lack of
exercise. To keep your pet at a healthy weight, be sure to provide
a healthy balance between food intake and physical activity. For
example, give your dog or cat two to three meals a day instead of
providing food at all times, and make sure to include at least one
daily walk or some playtime.
Maintaining a healthy weight for dogs and cats also depends on
the type of food they eat on a daily basis. Owners should choose an
appropriate pet food according to the animal’s age, weight, and
activity level. Generally, younger dogs and cats need to consume
more calories per pound of body weight than older dogs and cats.
Animals with active lifestyles and pregnant or nursing females
require more protein, minerals, and calories in their diet.
Dr. Audrey Cook, associate professor at the Texas A&M
College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, explained
the best way to choose the healthiest option for your pet. “Your
regular veterinarian is the best person to give advice on what to
feed your pet,” she said. “They will be able to provide an optimal
diet type based on the animal’s age and body condition. In general,
feeding guides on food products tend to overestimate the amount of
food needed, so these guides can be misleading.”
In addition to diet and exercise, pet owners can regularly
monitor their pet’s weight by routinely weighing them around the
same time of the day. This can be effective in catching your pet’s
weight increase before it becomes a more serious problem.
Obesity can also be caused by some serious health problems
rather than simply reflecting poor diet and lack of exercise.
Weight gain can be related to hormone problems, such as
hypothyroidism in dogs and acromegaly in cats, which is defined as
excess growth hormone production. Dogs with hypothyroidism gain
weight without eating more food than usual, while cats with
acromegaly will experience an increase in appetite. Dogs and cats
with Cushing's syndrome will appear as if they’ve gained weight
with their pot-bellied appearance, but these patients rarely
experience a weight increase.
No matter the cause of obesity in dogs and cats, severe
secondary diseases and health problems can develop if the obese
patient is left untreated. There is good evidence that obesity
impacts quality of life as well as life span. “In dogs, obesity is
often associated with joint problems, such as arthritis and loss of
mobility,” Cook said. “Obesity in cats is strongly associated with
diabetes mellitus.” In addition to these health conditions, an
obese pet may also have difficulty breathing, become fatigued with
routine exercise, and be unable to groom itself effectively.
Though it may be tempting to spoil your pet with table scraps
and extra servings of food, consider thinking twice about the
consequences your pet may face as a result. To provide your pet
with a healthy and happy life, consult your veterinarian in keeping
a balanced lifestyle and choosing the right food for your pet’s
needs.
Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine
& Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be
viewed on the Web at vetmed.tamu.edu/pet-talk. Suggestions for
future topics may be directed to editor@cvm.tamu.edu
.
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