Please note, I received compensation in exchange for this blog post. – Shawn Messonnier, DVM
Now that we’ve settled into the new year, remember those New Year’s resolutions we all made? Now’s a good time to check in on them. Many of us made a resolution to improve some aspect of our lives, and undoubtedly many of us chose to focus on a health care resolution. One of the most common health-related resolutions involves exercise, particularly so the person can lose weight and improve shape and fitness.
While we continue to focus on resolutions we made for ourselves and ensure we’re taking steps to achieve our goals, let’s not forget about our four-legged family members as well. Why not help our dogs and cats get into better shape and lose weight?
Does your pet struggle with obesity?
Obesity is unfortunately very common in pets as in people. In most cases this extra weight is not accidental but caused by overfeeding or giving too many treats to our pets, coupled with a sedentary lifestyle devoid of physical activity that would occur normally if our pets acted like their wild relatives. While it’s best to prevent obesity, we often are faced with treating pets afflicted with this common nutritional disorder.
As in people, being overweight is not simply a cosmetic problem. Numerous diseases, including arthritis, cancer, and diabetes can be linked to obesity. Therefore, preventing and treating obesity has far-ranging consequences for the health of the patient.
In approaching the obese pet, before I assume obesity is simply the result of too much food, too many treats, and/or too little activity, I want to make sure I’m not dealing with a true internal medical disorder such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, or adrenal disease. A thorough evaluation and diagnostic testing (including blood, urine, and fecal testing at a minimum) is needed. It makes no sense to put a pet on a diet only to find out that the pet has an underlying medical disorder and CAN’T lose weight until the disorder is addressed.
How to help your pet maintain a healthy weight
Assuming we don’t have a medical problem and simply have an overweight pet, we need a plan to address the problem. Increased activity is easier for dogs than cats, although both species can be encouraged to get off the couch or floor and move around. Each pet is different, and I encourage you to work with your pet’s doctor to put together a sound exercise program. A nice side effect of this is that often the pet owner needs to lose weight as well as increase activity and helping the pet can also help the owner!
Obviously, diet and calories must be addressed. Ultimately, following feeding guidelines closely and cutting back on treats will likely help your pet lose weight. All food, including treats, needs to be discussed so the doctor can best determine just how much caloric intake the pet should eat. In order to discourage begging and keep the pet full most of the day and night, breaking up the total daily food allowance into 3-6 smaller snack meals is ideal – the same is true for people dieting.
And what food can be fed to the overweight pet? There are a variety of “prescription-type” diets on the market which can be beneficial, but a better solution is to provide a diet that is rich and varied in fresh, whole animal ingredients, and full of delicious protein sources that provide complete nourishment and delivers nutrients. It’s also important that the pet actually will eat the diet (a problem with many “prescription-type” diets that often are not particularly palatable to the pet) and enjoy the flavor, which increases the pet’s desire to eat the proper diet.
And what food can be fed to the overweight pet? There are a variety of “prescription-type” diets on the market which can be beneficial, but a better solution is to provide a diet that is rich and varied in fresh, whole animal ingredients, and full of delicious protein sources that provide complete nourishment and delivers nutrients. It’s also important that the pet actually will eat the diet (a problem with many “prescription-type” diets that often are not particularly palatable to the pet) and enjoy the flavor, which increases the pet’s desire to eat the proper diet.
Provide a diet that is rich and varied in fresh, whole animal ingredients
Two such diets that fit this solution are ACANA Light & Fit Formula for dogs and ACANA Indoor Entrée for cats. These diets contain carefully balanced calories from protein and fat to help support a healthy body weight and lean muscle mass. The diets also provide nutrients in their most nourishing form and ensuring this is the case is why you should always check out the ingredients. ACANA foods always include meat, poultry or fish as the first two ingredients. ACANA Light & Fit Formula is loaded with free-run chicken and turkey, wild-caught fish, and cage-free eggs. Plus, the first ingredient in ACANA Indoor Entrée is real chicken meat – the most popular flavor for cats – and it has herring, turkey, rabbit and organ meat. For many owners, the ingredients are selected not only for their health benefits but also taste, as pets prefer these diets to the traditional weight-reducing diets.
Work with your pet’s doctor to find an exercise program and high-quality diet to help your pet shed pounds and return to health!
Dr. Shawn Messonnier opened Paws & Claws Animal Hospital and Holistic Pet Center in 1991. His special interests include holistic and functional medicine, exotic pets, dermatology, cancer, and internal medicine. Dr. Shawn is a well-known speaker and author. In addition to serving clients, he has written for numerous veterinary and pet publications including Animal Wellness, Body + Soul, Veterinary Forum, Dog Fancy, Cat Fancy, Dog World, Fido Friendly, Whole Dog Journal, Whole Cat Journal, Whole Living, Total Health and Wellness. He is the former radio host of the award-winning Dr. Shawn The Natural Vet for Martha Stewart Living Radio.