Obesity in Dogs and Cats

Obesity is defined as the excessive accumulation of body fat. At least 25% of all dogs and cats are considered obese or are likely to become obese. It is the most common nutrition-related health condition in dogs and cats in our society.

The primary causes of obesity are overeating and lack of exercise. When regular caloric intake exceeds the energy burned, the excess is stored as fat. As little as an extra 1 percent caloric intake can result in a 25 percent increase over ideal body weight by middle age.

Most owners don't recognize that their dogs and cats are overweight until they take them to the veterinarian for another reason. Most pets begin slowly gaining weight and only a historical review of body weight reveals the insidious nature of this condition.

Dogs and cats that are overweight may experience difficulty breathing or walking or they may be unable to tolerate heat or exercise.

Diagnosis

Veterinary care should include diagnostic tests to determine overall health and to provide recommendations for weight loss.

Diagnostic tests may include:

·    A thorough veterinary examination, including an accurate measure of body weight and an assessment of body condition score. A historical review of changes in your dog's or cat’s body weight is often helpful in establishing a pattern of weight gain and may help identify a particular event or change in environment that relates to the increase in body weight.

·    Routine blood work is necessary to determine if there is an underlying disease. If the results of these tests indicate a problem, additional tests are warranted to specifically identify the condition before starting a weight loss program.

·    Assessment of your pet’s current daily intake of all food, treats, snacks, table foods and exercise schedule is important in the development of a successful weight loss program. Clearly if the calculated caloric intake exceeds the daily energy requirement of the dog or cat at an ideal body weight, then excessive caloric intake is the cause of the obesity.

Treatment

Treatment of any concurrent or underlying disease that affects obesity is recommended.

·    Lower your pet’s daily caloric intake by changing the food product (there are several diets formulated for weight loss) or the amount fed daily.

·    Increasing fiber or water intake may sometimes be necessary to satiate your pet.

·    Increase exercise activity. To enhance exercise, a variety of leashes and toys are available.

Home Care

Weight loss should be a family effort. All members of the family must admit the animal is overweight and commit to a weight loss program. It may be helpful to maintain a log of intake (food and treats) and weight to monitor progress. It might be most effective if one person takes charge of feeding your dog or cat, but all members can help exercise him.

To achieve significant weight loss, the diet must be changed to a therapeutic veterinary diet specifically designed for weight loss. Simply feeding less of your pet’s regular food is rarely, if ever, successful. Owners must be willing to measure exactly the amount of food offered and minimize treats. If treats are necessary, offer low calorie snacks such as air popped popcorn or a piece of vegetable (such as a carrot).

Re-check visits are essential every 4 to 6 weeks to monitor the weight loss since adjustments to the feeding plan are often needed. As your pet approaches ideal body weight, caloric intake must be reduced further to maintain weight loss.

Most dogs and cats require an 8 to 12 month weight loss plan to reach their ideal weight. Most pets do achieve ideal or near ideal body weight when the owner and family members are committed to improving the pet's health. Most owners continue feeding the weight loss diet, only at a higher food dose, to maintain their pet's ideal weight.

Specific recommendations depend upon the underlying disease. For obesity due to:

·    Excessive caloric consumption. Once an ideal weight has been achieved, a low calorie food should be continued, treats and snacks should be minimized and the exercise program continued.

·    Diabetes mellitus. Regular recheck visits are necessary to monitor insulin dose and effectiveness. Body weight changes should also be checked regularly.

·    Hypothyroidism. Regular recheck visits are necessary to monitor thyroid dose and effectiveness. Body weight changes should also be checked regularly.

·    Blood thyroid levels should also be checked regularly particularly if the dog is losing weight.

·    Hyperadrenocorticism. Regular recheck visits are necessary to monitor medical management. Body weight changes should also be checked regularly.

Diet Recommendations

Prevention

·    Hill's Prescription diet w/d®

Treatment

·    Hill's Prescription diet r/d®

·    Waltham Calorie Control®

·    Purina CNM OM-FORMULA®

Information In-depth

There are several causes of canine obesity, but whether your dog is overweight because of overfeeding or because of a disease process, he is still taking in more calories than he is using.

Obesity in pets is more commonly due to over-eating (excessive caloric consumption) than disease. The most common cause of obesity is a chronic consumption of calories greater than actual daily energy requirement. Excessive dietary calories are stored as body fat.

Other causes of obesity are due to an altered energy metabolism. Some diseases and conditions can contribute to obesity. These include:

·    Diabetes mellitus. There is a relationship between obesity and diabetes, where overweight and obese animals become insulin resistant. These animals often begin to show the early signs of diabetes mellitus which are excessive drinking, excessive urinating and hunger. As the disease progresses, the pet eventually loses weight.

Call your veterinarian if you suspect that your dog or cat is overweight, or if your pet begins experiencing difficulty breathing or exercising or appears unable to get comfortable. Also, have a veterinarian examine your pet to determine if these abnormalities are present before instituting a weight loss program.