We love our pets but statistics show we may be feeding them to death. Like their humans, a majority of America’s pets are overweight and obese, and the excess pounds are straining their joints, overworking their hearts, and leading to cancers and diabetes.
The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention reports that 54 percent — that’s 93 million dogs and cats in the United States — are obese or overweight. The health dangers their corpulence puts them at risk for are many, and the list reads as it would for human obesity risk factors: osteoarthritis, insulin resistance, Type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart and respiratory diseases, various cancers, and a decrease in life expectancy of 2.5 years.
As with humans, the reasons for pet pudginess are poor diets and too much sitting around. Ideally, healthy dogs should be walked 30 minutes a day seven days a week, according to APOP veterinarian Dr. Ernest Ward, Jr. And cats should engage daily in two 10-minute periods of play — chasing a small ball, toying with a paper bag, or following a floating feather. Pets also should eat several frequent small meals a day rather than heaping helpings.
If your pet could stand to shed a few pounds, here are some tips to help him live healthier and likely longer.
Change your thinking. Some owners believe that if their pets have been spayed or neutered, weight gain is inevitable because the procedure slows metabolism. But according to PetMD.com, that’s not necessarily so. While the surgery may slightly slow metabolism, so does aging. If your pet is burning calories more slowly, he may require less food. Also, if you think your pet’s roundness adds to her cuteness, consider this: Cats weighing just two pounds above their ideal weight and dogs weighing five pounds above theirs are at risk for serious medical problems, according to Ward.
Learn your pet’s ideal weight. Enlist your veterinarian’s help in identifying your pet’s ideal weight and in figuring out how many calories he should consume a day to reach it. For dogs, a healthy weight loss would range between one and five pounds per month, and for cats, one pound per month, depending on their age and condition, the APOP advises. Your veterinarian also can test your pet in case there is a question about why it is gaining weight, such as a suspected thyroid problem.
Consider food carefully. Just as we do when we shop for ourselves, we should read the labels on pet food. Many brands now contain less meat and more soy, corn, and wheat, which can help pack on the pounds. Brands that list meat as the first ingredient are best, and vegetables and barley are good sources of carbohydrates. Also, ask your veterinarian about “reduced calorie” and “senior” foods, advises PetMD.com. Some decrease fat but increase carbohydrates, which encourages additional insulin secretion, prompting the body to store unused calories as fat.
Offer veggie treats. Instead of the high-fat dog treats for sale in the supermarket, offer Fido low-calorie asparagus, celery, baby carrots, and broccoli. (He’ll love the crunch.) If your household is a busy one, make sure all members are aware of how many treats your dog is getting to avoid overdoing it.
Move the food bowl. Make your pet move to get his food, and don’t use a self-feeder. Send him upstairs one day and downstairs the next. If your dog is a beggar, give him some attention instead of food, or take him outside to redirect and distract him, PetMD.com suggests.
Walk briskly. Many pet owners actually stroll with their dogs rather than briskly walk them. The average pace is 20 to 25 minutes per mile, including pauses every one to two minutes for sniffing. To help your dog lose weight, you need to walk a 12- to 15-minute-per-mile pace, Ward says. To maintain control and pace, hold the leash tightly, keeping it two to four feet from your body.
Remember that exercise not only helps your pet lose weight, but it also works to relieve stress and boredom, and release energy. An exercised dog is more likely to a better behaved dog, experts say.
Get online help. In addition to consulting with your veterinarian, consider using the Internet in your effort to help your pet shed pounds. The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention website offers calorie counts on brand-named foods, which you won’t always find on packaging. What’s more, Purina and Jenny Craig are offering Project: Pet Slim Down, an online program with exercise and weight-loss tips, and where pet owners can share photos of their canine and feline friends with other users.
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