How Can I Tell If My Pet is Too Heavy?
According to Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinarians often use a body condition score (BCS) system to determine if pets are too heavy for their age, breed, and bone structure. If your pet’s BCS sore is a 4 out of 5, your pet is overweight. A score of 5 is obese. Pets that score 4 or 5 are at risk, so changes are needed to the feeding and exercise plan.
Ask your veterinarian to show you how to assess BCS properly.
Risks of Obesity
Obesity may shorten your pet’s lifespan and will increase medical costs. Obesity is associated with:
Skin problems, Anesthetic complications, Arthritis, injured tendons, bones, and ligaments, Heart and lung disease, Heat stroke, Decreased immune function, Diabetes, Cancer.
Body Condition Score (5-point scale)
1. Thin
Ribs, spine and hip bones easily seen; fat not easily felt, and bones of the skeleton are prominent.
2. Underweight
Minimal fat covering ribs; waistline easily noted when viewed from above; abdomen tucked up when viewed from side.
3. Ideal
Ribs are felt but not seen; waist is observed when viewed from above; abdomen is tucked up when viewed from side.
4. Overweight
Ribs felt with some fat covering, waistline thickened when viewed from above; some fat may be felt at the base of tail or over hips.
5. Obese
Ribs not easily felt under thick fat covering; waistline absent; fat may also cover spine, shoulders, hips, and tail base.
How Can I Help My Pet Lose Weight?
1. How much is my pet really eating?
Keep a food diary for 1 week. Measure the exact amount of food and all treats eaten, including people food, vitamins or other supplements.
2. How much should my pet be eating?
Work with your vet to determine the number of calories your pet needs. Calorie requirements are different for each animal and the calorie content of pet foods and treats can vary widely. So, read the label of your pet’s food (you may need to call the company) to determine the amount of calories in each measured cup or can. Next, calculate how much food is actually needed based on the number of calories your pet requires each day. Use an 8 ounce measuring cup to portion your pet’s food. And remember treats also count as calories!
3. How much exercise?
Getting an overweight or obese pet up and moving is critical because we won’t see weight loss if we don’t change the metabolic rate (or metabolism) of the animal. Increase daily exercise by 1 minute more each day. A good goal to shoot for is 30 minutes of activity daily.
4. How much weight should my pet lose?
Weight loss should be gradual and most veterinarians use a target of 1% loss of total body weight per week. More than 2% lost per week is too fast.
Some overweight pets may need to lose as much as 10- 20% of their body weight at a rate of 1-2% per week. It’s best to keep in mind that a weight loss program will require several months of focused attention on helping an overweight pet eat right and exercise more.
5. How long will it take?
Depending on the amount of weight your pet needs to lose, it could take as little as 3-4 months, or as long as 9 to 12 months to lose the weight. Weight loss programs require careful control of food intake and exercise, by both the owner and the veterinarian on a weekly basis.
How Can I Help My Pet Exercise?
Increasing activity to alter body metabolism is a very important facet of every weight loss plan. Some suggestions for cats and dogs are listed below but there are many more possibilities depending on what you and your pet enjoy. Consult with your veterinarian about the possibilities of using physical rehabilitation too!
Cats
- Place food bowls high up or beyond a barrier (such as a baby gate).
- Toys such as laser lights, automatic mice, fishing and feather poles should be used for regular play.
- Kong toys allow your pet to work for its daily food.
- Train to leash walk or train to walk on a treadmill.
Dogs
- Walk! Walk! Walk!
- Train to use a treadmill.
- Teach new tricks when your dog acts bored or begs for food.
- Throw a ball or frisbee for a few minutes each day.
- Place the food bowl at the top or bottom of a staircase, so your dog has to move to get his food.
Summary
- An overweight or obese pet is at risk for serious health complications.
- Consult with your veterinarian to make a plan for your pet to slim down.
- Keep a food diary to learn where calories are coming from.
- Feed the calculated number of calories that your pet needs to reach the target goal weight.
- Gradually increase your pet’s activity each day.
- Regularly check your pet’s body condition score to adjust levels of food and exercise.
Reposted from Veterinary Medical Center-College of Veterinary Medicine Michigan State University