Vet Speak By Alison Laurie-Chalmers of Crown Vets in Inverness: Obesity is a health issue for pets – but advice is on hand – as overweight pets are a growing concern for UK vets, with around 40 per cent of dogs and cats estimated to be overweight or obese
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Tam and Tess were the best of pals, a beautiful rag-doll cat, and a friendly black Labrador. They were both four, young and playful. However, they loved their food, and it was noticed at their vaccine checks-ups that they had gained significant weight over the past year.
Unfortunately, overweight pets are a growing concern for UK vets, with around 40 per cent of dogs and cats estimated to be overweight or obese. Pet obesity is also on the rise generally and has been noted as a big problem during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Obesity is fast becoming one of the most serious health problems affecting our pets, with currently one in three cats and one in four dogs considered to be overweight.
Sadly, being overweight is fast becoming almost the “norm” – so much so, that when we see a healthy, lean dog or cat, the owner’s reaction often now is to think that he/she is “too thin”.
Obesity sadly brings with it some increased risks of ill health and a poor quality of life and is fast becoming one of the most serious health problems affecting our pets. In dogs it can cause a range of conditions – including joint disease, diabetes, heart disease, a higher general anaesthetic risk, and cancer. It can also shorten a dog’s lifespan by as much as two years.
Obesity in cats is extremely detrimental to health and can also result in serious health conditions, including diabetes, lower urinary tract disease (cystitis), joint disease, fatty liver disease (Hepatic Lipidosis), heart and respiratory disease, and also poses an increased anaesthetic risk. Cats are obligate carnivores, in the wild, they would have caught their own prey, and rarely would you have seen an overweight feline. Now we provide them with such pampered lives that a fit, lean, toned cat is sadly fast becoming the minority. So, if you want to have your feline or canine best friend around for as long as possible, now is the time to do something positive about this, and work at getting them back into shape.
Your vet can advise and support owners on their goal towards a slimmer and healthier pet. Vets generally run regular weight clinics, providing advice on a pet’s diet, and working out healthy, weight loss plans. The aim is to help pet owners, as we all appreciate dieting is never an easy task.
Your pet’s diet and daily energy requirements can be carefully worked out, dependent on their age, stage and lifestyle. An initial dietary weight loss plan for your individual pet can then be set up and worked on.
Once a diet is advised, then set amounts will be given to feed in measured grammes per day, to try to work towards achieving an ideal “target weight” for your pet. Do carefully weigh your pet’s food allocation out each day, on an accurate electronic gram measure kitchen scale, and, if possible, weigh your pet regularly and keep a record of this weight.
After a month, their daily food amounts will be advised on and adjusted if required, depending on that recorded weight. Weight loss in cats can and should be a slow process, and often owners will become disillusioned when despite all their efforts, their cat doesn’t appear to be showing signs of becoming slimmer. However, losing 0.5kg a month may not seem like much to an owner, but to an obese, inactive cat this is progress.
If you are strict, and you do comply with the advised feeding guidelines given, then gradually you should begin to see some positive results in your trimmer pet, which in turn will be a happier, healthier pet looking forward.
Tam and Tess did very well. They had both lost some of their excess weight at their next check-ups, and they looked fitter and healthier for it!
If you need good, professional guidance on weight loss for your pet call your vet for a check-up.
• Alison Laurie-Chalmers is a senior consultant at Crown Vets in Inverness.
