NEW AT PUTNAM VETERINARY CLINIC JULY-AUGUST 2010
FEEDING YOUR PET FOR OPTIMAL WEIGHT
A recent study found that dogs with normal weights lived an average of 2 years longer and had significantly fewer health problems than dogs that were slightly overweight.What does this mean for your pet? It means that keeping your pet trim will increase its chances of living a longer, healthier life with you.
How to assess your pet’s weight:
1. The Hour-Glass Figure—Look at your pet from the top down, along its back: You should be able to se the rounded shape of the ribcage and the smaller, trim waist. The look at your pet for the side: Again, the ribcage should be rounded and should lead to a higher tucked waist.
2. Checking the fat layer—Gently stroke your pet’s ribcage. You should be able to lightly feel the ribs without a heavy fat layer but only the whole ribcage (not individual ribs) should be visible.
Arthritis, diabetes, digestive problems and poor hair coat are some of the health issues seen more often in obese dogs and cats. The keys to helping our pets lose weight are to increase exercise and decrease calories.
If you have a dog; exercise him or her every day. Even a daily 20 minute walk will make a difference.
If you have a cat, encourage exercise by feeding in different places in the home to simulate hunting for food. Your cat will probably find this game enjoyable. Start by moving the bowl to other obvious places in the same room. When your cat gets the hang of this game, then be more adventurous and expand your territory throughout the house.
The general rule to decreasing calories is to decrease by 25% until the weight plateaus, then to decrease by 25% again if the pet is still overweight.
For example, if your dog eats 2 cups of food twice daily, decrease to 1 ½ cups twice daily. Make sure you use a real measuring cup (we can give you one), not a “scope” or other container. This is the only way to objectively measure how much you are feeding your pet.
If you are free-feeding your cat, you first have to figure out approximately how much hour cat eats daily. Do this by measuring how much food goes into the bowl, fill it as much as you like. Keep track of any extra amount you may have added during the day. Do this for one week, then take an average. You can now decrease the food by 25%. We recommend measuring this decreased amount in the morning and feeding it in sprinkles throughout the day when you are home. WE also recommend saving a bit for bedtime so that everyone (you and your cat) sleep well. Remember to pace yourself with the sprinkles because this is the amount for this 24 hour period; when the cup is empty, you have to wait until the next morning to refill. You and your cat will soon get used t this new way of feeding.
Alternatively, you can switch your pet to a lower calorie food and feed the same quantity. A good diet food with “LIGHT” on the bag. The “LIGHT” foods are generally more calorie-restrictive than other diet foods that use the term “low calorie” or “weight control”. The advantage to a prescription food is that you can feed your pet the usual amount and still achieve calorie restriction.
Be careful about following the guidelines on the bag of food—it often overestimates how much to feed.
Also, be careful about extra treats. These calories add up fast. A pet on a diet should have only the occasional biscuit treat. Other good options for dogs are baby carrots, broccoli or apple pieces. You might be surprised how much most dogs like these.
Every pet on a diet should have their weight rechecked in 4 weeks. If your pet is not losing weight, or if you are concerned you pet is losing too much weight, please make an appointment to speak with the veterinarian.
Doggie Play Groups!
Is your dog looking to make new friends and have some doggie fun?Putnam Veterinary Clinic is offering structured play dates for dogs Wednesdays, 10:00am-11:00am
For more information and to register contact us at
978-887-3836