It was estimated that in 2006 around a half of dogs and nearly a fifth of cats were overweight, with cat obesity less of a problem as cats do not have to be taken out for walks and tend not to overeat as much anyway. There has been an increase in pet food products that are marketed as being low-calorie, organic, or free from ingredients such as additives or preservatives. Due to the higher prevalence of obesity among dogs, these products are more common in the dog food market, with increasing numbers of products marketed as Light, ie lower in fat, such as Bakers Complete Dry Weight Control dry food, and Pro Plan Light for overweight dogs.
The simple fact is that, in general, we are feeding our pets too much, or food that is not appropriate - and both they and we are not getting enough exercise. The cause of obesity is that the animal is eating more than it requires, the excess is stored as fat, and the animal becomes overweight. Overfeeding of an improper diet containing too much fat and too many carbohydrates, too many snacks or scraps and not enough exercise are all factors in the cause of obesity. Many older pets need their diet adjusted, as they get older they sleep more and require less exercise, your vet will be able to advise you on feeding the older pet.
The main reasons for keeping your pet lean and trim are:
Obesity can reduce life-expectancy
Diabetes is very common - it affects 1 in every 200 dogs and 1 in every 400 cats
It has been estimated that 24% of obese animals have problems moving around because of joint stress.
Excess body weight increases workload for the heart and almost doubles the risk for circulatory disease to develop.
The risk of developing skin disease is increased in obese individuals
Overweight animals have difficulty exercising because of the effects on locomotion,. and also due to the effects of excess body tissue on respiration - making breathing difficult.
Reproductive problems in males and females is often associated with excess body weight
If your pet is overweight then you need to do something about it - not doing something is tantamount to cruelty!
Some veterinarians recommend the following: Record an accurate pre-diet weight. Reduce by one-third your pet's total daily ration previously given. Include in this total all treats, snacks, or left-overs if you insist on continuing to provide these. Reweigh the pet in 2 weeks. (Remember if the pet begs for food, that's a good sign! But don't give in.)
If you find upon weighing your pet after two weeks that it has lost even a little weight, you're on the right track; keep up this schedule! If no weight loss is evident, again reduce by one-third the amount being fed. Weigh the pet again in two weeks.
Depending upon the results either keep feeding this amount or reduce again by one-third the total amount being fed. If you persist a good outcome is certain. Many veterinarians believe you should not feed the "Reduced Calorie" or "Lite Diets" or "Senior Diets"! These diets have very restricted fat levels to reduce the calories but by necessity have increased the carbohydrate percentages. This increased carbohydrate stimulates additional Insulin secretion which tells the body to store unused calories as fat! There are a multitude of overweight dogs that have actually gained weight on those "Reduced Calorie" weight loss diets.
It is also quite important to get everyone's cooperation in restricting the pet's intake. There is usually someone in the household who feels sorry for the dieting pet and surreptitiously provides "just a little" something extra. More helpful would it be for the person to take the pet for a walk or a run to burn off a few calories.
The author, who originally trained as a food technologist has, in his time owned dogs, cats, hamsters and birds, sold pet food and spent the past decade marketing it. Now down to one cat, one dog and running Pet Food Choice, a website full of information on pet food choices, money-saving ideas and much more - http://www.pet-food-choice.co.uk
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