Obesity in Dogs & Cats

Did you know your pet is considered overweight if he or she is 15% above optimum weight levels? And considered obese if they exceed the optimum weight levels by 20%?

Twenty percent may sound like you have pounds to play with, but when you’re talking about an 18-lb cat, there’s not a lot of leeway. 

Obesity is the #1 nutritional disease affecting pets in the United States. Your overweight pet has an increased chance for heart disease, respiratory ailments, skin rashes, joint diseases, and-especially in cats-diabetes.

Obesity also causes joint and motility problems, skin and reproductive problems, and even cancer. Obviously much more is at stake here than vanity.

How do you know if your pet is overweight? With some pets, it’s obvious just by looking at them. But if you’re perhaps less of an objective judge, compare the weight of your cat or dog to the breed standard. Or better yet, feel your pet’s ribcage. 

You want to be able to feel, although not necessarily see, the ribs when you pet your animal. Looking down from above, you want to see an hourglass shape: wide at the chest, narrow at the waist and wider at the hips. From the side, your pet’s chest should be the lowest part of the silhouette, and should rise till the abdomen meets the back legs.

If you find your pet is overweight or obese, treatment is simple: fewer calories; more exercise. Pets gain weight for the same reason we do-they eat too much and exercise too little. Remember that the feeding recommendations on bags of pet food are only an average.  Most bags might recommend 3-5 cups of food per day. If your dog leads an active lifestyle, 5 cups might be necessary to maintain nourishment. For a couch potato though, 3 cups will do just fine. Consult with your veterinarian if you have any questions on how much (and what type of food) you should be feeding your pet. 

And don’t forget about exercise! A brisk walk or even playtime around the house will help burn off calories. 

I hate to scold my clients about overweight pets, but often they don’t take obesity as seriously as they should. So I’ll tell you what I tell my clients-I know you love to make your pets happy. Now, love to make them as healthy, too!

And usually |’m doing them a favor as well, because most overweight pets have-guess what? Overweight owners. In fact, 75% of obese animals belong to people themselves who are overweight. So support Fido in his battle of the bulge, put down that donut, grab the leash, and head out for a walk!

Article by Dr. Jeff Werber, DVM