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Is Your Pet Overweight? How to Tell (and Help Him Slim Down)

 

overweight-pet-dog-585Is Your Pet Overweight?

One of the biggest hindrances for dogs and cats being at a healthy weight is the inability for most pet parents to recognize their animal has a weight problem. Extra weight isn’t only a sensitive issue for people, but it’s sensitive for people when it comes to talking about their pet’s weight as well. The dog or cat may be called “big boned” or “fluffy,” but to admit that a pet has a weight issue is something most pet owners are reluctant to do. When asked if their pet is overweight, the vast majority of pet owners with overweight pets claim their pet is “normal”.

It’s important to have an idea of what weight a pet should be. Talk to your veterinarian about your pet’s weight and what an ideal weight would be for their specific frame and breed as well as any exercise limitations they may have. There are body composition scales for dogs and cats that allow you to find out if your dog is severely underweight, minimally underweight, at a healthy weight, overweight or obese, and there are even scales that provide breed-specific guidelines and some that show how much weight a pet has around the rib area and the condition of their waist.

Not sure if your pet needs to lose weight? Check out this advice from President and Founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, Dr. Ernie Ward:

The first step to determine if your pet is just right or too pudgy, is to assess its current condition. Start by comparing your pet’s current weight with its last measurement. If it’s up, you need a new diet plan! Next, whenever possible, find out what your pet weighed when it was about 12 to 18 months old. That’s a pretty good indicator of what its adult weight should be. Finally, ask your veterinarian to calculate your pet’s Body Condition Score (BCS).

Some simple home tests you can perform include:

1. Rib Check: You should be able to easily feel your pet’s ribs under a thin layer of skin. If you’re pushing through a pad of plump, chances are your pet is too heavy.

2. Tummy Test: Does your pet’s belly sag and dip toward the floor? Pets at a healthy weight will actually have a tummy that is taut, tight and trends upward instead of dragging down.

3. Waist Watch: When you look down at your pet you should see a subtle hourglass silhouette, not a blooming blimp outline.

In general, if you think your pet is carrying a few extra pounds, it probably is. Most vets will be happy to weigh your cat and conduct a BCS test at no charge on special animal-accurate scales.

You’ll want to work with your vet to get a firm idea of where your pet’s weight lands, as well as to set goals and create a weight-loss plan for them, if necessary, but you should keep track of that weight on your own, too. At my parent’s ranch, my father, veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker, has a scale with recordings of our pets’ weight taken on a regular basis to monitor their weight and adjust their meals or activity as necessary for keeping them close to their ideal weight as possible.

And, remember, just as it’s better to do a lifestyle change rather than a crash diet for people, the same holds true for dogs and cats. Slow and steady weight-loss is the key!

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Comments

6 Comments
  1. Cassie says:

    What an interesting article! Lately my family has been debating whether or not my dog is overweight. I’ll definitely check up on it!

  2. Dewy says:

    Excellent article,
    I guess it is harder for a pet parent to accept that their pet is over-weight than them to accept their own weight.

    The problem lies with the activity levels, pets, people – everyone is doing less activities and taking more idle and rest times.

    I guess it is time to just go out and get some running, jogging or exercises done,

    thanks,
    Dewy,

  3. Joli Tripp says:

    Great info! We love our furr babies so much that we reward them with food everytime they look at us with their big beautiful eyes. These are great tips. Just keeping my 2 kitties from sleeping 23 hours a day is my battle. They eat, they sleep. That’s it. But feeding them a natural diet of grain free food has done more for their weight than anything else I’ve done.

  4. Will Shaw says:

    Interesting post!
    The problem lies with the activity levels, pets, people – everyone is doing less activities and taking more idle and rest times
    L.ately my family has been debating whether or not my dog is overweight. I’ll definitely check up on it!

  5. kalpana S says:

    Useful information. I observed dogs also suffer from weight problems due to health issues. You have discussed causes of gaining weight and also it can increase the risk of breathing problems and over-stressing joints etc. Can you suggest any other blog for getting instructions to prevent weight gain in pets? Along with this article, I would like to share about the hamster pets which were established as popular small house pets.

  6. kalpana S says:

    I have already read some information about how pets are suffering with overweight problems. Here you have given some instructions on how to get active the pet such as biking with your dog, puppy pushups and water exercises etc. This blog is continuous to that blog. Thanks for sharing. Apart from this article, I learned about the facts about hamsters as pets which have become established as popular small house pets.

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