Paws-itive Press
Obesity in Dogs and Cats
By Mark Planco of Planco Veterinary Care
Dogs and cats are considered overweight when they are 5%-19% overweight. Obesity begins at 20% above their ideal weight. You may wonder how to know your pet’s ideal weight. Their weight at one year old is usually a good gauge to what is their ideal weight. Other methods include the rib test. Place your hands on your dog or cat’s rib cage, one on each side. If you can’t easily feel their ribs they’re probably obese. Do they have “love handles” (extra fat on each side just in front of their hind legs)? Can you find a waist on them? These are some guidelines to determine if you pet needs a diet. If you’re still unsure if your dog is overweight, take the quiz at the end of this newsletter.
Obesity results from mainly two causes: overfeeding or inadequate exercise. Some dogs have medical issues such as hypothyroidism that causes excessive weight gain, but the majority is due to consuming more calories than burned.
Obesity can cause many health problems for pets. They can have breathing problems, heart disease, skin and hair coat issues, arthritis, diabetes and cause a decrease in activity which only makes the problem worse.
To prevent these medical problems calories ingested needs to be reduced and increase calories burned. In a severely overweight pet, getting started is the challenging part. It takes commitment by you to want to prevent these problems. It can be difficult to get cats to exercise and getting cats to eat diet food can be a real challenge. Dogs are easier, but the first pounds are the hardest. Once they start losing the weight they will feel better, become more active, burn more calories and lose more weight. With any exercise program, start slowly and steadily increase. If you have difficulty keeping your dog or cat from being overweight or need help with the proper diet contact your veterinarian to create a plan.
BARC Quiz
- Is your dog a Beagle, Golden or Labrador retriever, Basset hound, Cocker Spaniel, Dachshund, or Sheltie?
- Do you have more than one dog?
- Is your dog over 5 years old and is still eating the same type of food and amount as when he or she was younger?
- Is it difficult to tell where one rib ends and the next begin?
- Does your dog fail to taper between the ribs and hindquarters?
- Do you feed your dog table scraps or multiple treats per day?
- Do you fill the bowl with food rather than measure the amount?
- Does your dog have difficulty standing up or jumping?
- Does your dog get less than 30 minutes exercise per day?
How many times did you answer “yes”?
1-3 times- Low risk for being overweight or obese.
4-6 times- May be overweight or at risk for being overweight or obese as he or she ages.
7-9 times- High risk for being overweight or obese.
If you have any questions regarding spaying or neutering your dog or cat please call 795-9507.
Dr. Mark Planco’s compassion for animals has been a lifelong labor of love. He earned both his undergraduate and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees at the University of Florida. Dr. Planco has treated small and large animals since 1991, and has been in Palm Beach County since 1994. Dr. Planco is a member of the Palm Beach Veterinary Society, American Veterinary Medical Association and the Florida Veterinary Medical Association. Visit PlancoVetCare.com for further information or call 561-795-9507.
Disclaimer: This column is not intended to provide information on which you should use to diagnose or treat a medical condition or delay seeking medical attention. This column is of no value with respect to any medical condition that needs prompt attention. If you have a question that needs an immediate answer, you should call your own veterinarian or emergency animal hospital, especially if you are confronting a medical emergency!
Furthermore, we urge you to always seek the advice of your own veterinarian, and you should not disregard, discount, or delay seeking the advice of your veterinarian because of any response posted in this column.