One of the most common problems we see in pets attending our surgery are those that are overweight. This has become an increasing trend over the years and it is now estimated that 41% of Australian dogs are overweight or obese!
Just as in humans, major health issues are associated with obesity including diabetes, insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) and arthritis. Overweight pets are more susceptible to health problems generally and usually slower to recover.
As well, from an economic point-of-view, the costs to look after overweight pets are more. Obviously, the costs of feeding are higher. Also. because drugs are administered on a weight basis, the costs of medications and treatments are so much higher as well.
The other problem that I see with overweight pets is the difficulty in lifting and handling of such pets. Just imagine how harder it is to lift and move an overweight dog when it is paralysed with tick poisoning.
What is the ideal weight and condition for a pet?
We regard the ideal weight of a pet to be when the ribs are covered lightly, not seen but readily felt. The pet should have a waist when viewed from above and the abdomen should be tucked up when viewed from the side.
What can be done if your pet is overweight?
Like ourselves, diet and exercise are the the main ingredients to be done for successful weight reduction.
We recommend the use of prepared pet diet foods as the basis of feeding such pets. We have an excellent range of diet foods available for this purpose. Foods such as Iams Weight Control are effective diet foods for this purpose because they are complete diets, well balanced, cost effective and … they work.
To assist pet owners to get the weight off overweight pets, we run Weight Control Clinics. If you are interested, the clinic starts with a full check-up, after which we can then the outline a practical weight reduction plan, including regular weigh-ins to monitor progress.
Talk to us today for the best ways to control weight in your pet and your personal situation and environment, and watch out for our regular monthly Newsletter!
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