Is your cat over weight? Do you have an over weight dog? Help Your Pet Lose Weight!

Cat over weight? Over weight dog?

Most pets with bone and joint pain benefit from losing weight. In fact, 1 of every 4 pets is overweight. Unfortunately, most pet owners—even those with tubby or obese dogs and cats —think their pets are normal. If you rub your hand under the pet’s hair and along its sides and can’t feel the ribs, your pet likely has a weight problem. This extra weight hurts those painful joints. Visit your veterinarian to rule out medical causes for being overweight, such as hypothyroidism, or Cushing’s disease. If your vet finds none of these problems, and your pet is just tubby, we have suggestions that can help.

How can I help with dog weight loss? How can I help with cat weight loss ?

• First, decide your pet’s target weight, that is, what it would weigh if it were the ideal size.
• Cat and dog nutrition: Check your pet food. How much does the package say a pet at that target weight should receive?
• Cat and dog nutrition: Measure to determine how much food you are giving now.
• Cat and dog nutrition: If you’re feeding more than a pet at the target weight should receive, take a month’s time to gradually reduce the amount you’re feeding until you are offering what a pet at the target weight would receive. Sometimes it helps to use a smaller cup. Or, you might use the measuring cup you’ve always used and remove a spoonful and place it back in the bag. After a week, remove two spoonfuls. Proceed until your pet is losing weight.
• Cat and dog nutrition: Put the proper amount of food in the bowl, leave it for 20 minutes, and then pick it up. Feed again in the evening. This is healthier for the pet because the food doesn’t lose its antioxidants while it’s sitting in the bowl.
• Cat and dog nutrition: If you’re feeding the target amount for your pet’s ideal weight and it is still overweight, stop all treats like biscuits. Instead give nonfattening treats such as Greenies, celery, green beans, peas, apples, pineapple, grapes, and Freeze Dried Liver Dog Treats. But remember, that’s one grape occasionally; one slice of apple occasionally; a couple peas; one green bean…
• Weigh your pet once a month, and write the weight on the calendar. If you’re doing a good job and your pet is losing weight, congratulate yourself for helping your pet be more comfortable and live longer. Take pictures of your success.

If your pet is not losing weight, don’t despair:

• Feed twice a day rather than once a day. Feed 2/3 of the pet’s ration in the morning and only 1/3 of the ration at night. Pets appear to be less hungry if their food is divided into two meals, and they gain less weight if the majority of their food is served in the morning rather than at night.
• Switch to a raw foods or homemade diet. Get a veterinarian’s help, and make the switch gradually. The food may be raw, but don’t feed it cold. The meal should be body temperature because pets evolved eating warm prey. Pets on raw or homemade diets that are higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates tend to develop a more ideal body weight.
• Use a smaller feeding bowl, and a bigger water bowl.

Exercising the overweight pet

While making food changes, gradually increase your pet’s exercise. Play with it more, exercise it with a laser penlight that can be flashed across the floor so your pet races after it, or take it swimming. If your pet has trouble exercising because its joints are sore, use a pain medication like Rimadyl, EtoGesic, and Deramaxx. Ask your veterinarian which medication would be appropriate for your dog. The more your pet feels like exercising, the more fun you’ll have together.

Does your pet beg?

If you love your pet so much you give it everything it wants, including keeping its bowl full of food and offering frequent treats, you can change. And you want to because overfeeding puts too much stress on joints—making it more difficult for your pet to exercise.

Instead, provide your pet with rewards that are not food—praise, new toys, leash walks, hide-and-go-seek. Make an effort to interact with your pet outside the kitchen. For those times you choose to reward your begging pet, we recommend Greenies and Freeze Dried Liver Dog Treats.

 

The articles here were answered by a variety of pharmacists and veterinarians   Date Category Topic 02/23/06  Other  DIABETES 02/06/06  Bone & Joint Care  LIMPING LABRADOR 01/30/06  Digestive Care  FOOD 01/29/06  Dental Care  TOOTH LOSS 01/12/06  Hormonal/Endocrine  CAT HAS PROBLEM? 01/10/06  Wormer  SICK DOG 01/07/06  Vitamins/Nutritional Supplements  OBESITY 12/07/05  Allergy  CHRONIC SNEEZE WITH DISCHARGE 12/05/05  Bone & Joint Care  LIMPING, HIP DISPLASA 11/26/05  Digestive Care  WEIGHT LOSE 11/18/05  Allergy  SNEEZING AND NOSE STUFFY 11/06/05  Wormer  HOW CAN I GET RID OF THE WORMS FROM MY BOXER 10/22/05  Other  ILLNESS 10/21/05  Other  SHE'S ALWAYS THROW UP 10/21/05  Heartworm Medicine  AMOUNT OF HEARTWORM PREVENTATIVE 1 2 »»

 

Enter question or keyword(s):              or search by pet type:  All Pet Types Dogs Cats Horses Other             TIPS: Search for answers by entering keywords, Use multiple keywords