Overweight dogs - the problems of obesity

Weight Watchers for Pets?

overweight dog According to the PDSA, more than one in five dogs is obese, and the number is rising as people overfeed and under exercise them. The charity predicts that incidence of heart disease, diabetes and arthritis will also rise in the same way as it is amongst the British population. The greatest proportion of overweight pets was apparently found in the North East (28%), and the lowest in the South East (12%).

It is estimated that in 2006 around a half of dogs and nearly a fifth of cats were overweight, with cat obesity less of a problem as cats do not have to be taken out for walks and tend not to overeat as much anyway. There has been an increase in pet food products that are marketed as being low-calorie, organic, or free from ingredients such as additives or preservatives. Due of the higher prevalence of obesity among dogs, these products are more common in the dog food market, with increasing numbers of products marketed as Light, ie lower in fat, such as Bakers Complete Dry Weight Control dry food, and Pro Plan Light for overweight dogs.

The simple fact is that, in general, we are feeding our pets too much, or food that is not appropriate - and both they and we are not getting enough exercise. The cause of obesity is that the animal is eating more than it requires, the excess is stored as fat, and the animal becomes overweight. Overfeeding of an improper diet containing too much fat and too many carbohydrates, too many snacks or scraps and not enough exercise are all factors in the cause of obesity. Many older pets need their diet adjusted, as they get older they sleep more and require less exercise, your vet will be able to advise you on feeding the older pet.

A quick test to see if your dog is overweight!
	VERY THIN Easily visible ribs, lower back and pelvic bones. No visible covering of fat, obvious waist and abdominal tuck. Absence of any muscle mass.	OVERWEIGHT Ribs felt but with an excess covering of fat. Waist still observed from above but not as prominent. Abdominal tuck may be absent.
	THIN Easily felt ribs, minimum covering of fat, waist easily noted when viewed from above and visible abdominal tuck.	OBESE Ribs not easily felt under a large covering of fat. Waist and abdominal tuck not discernible. Fat deposits on lower back and base of tail. May observe signs of obvious abdominal distension.
	IDEAL Ribs felt but without excess fat covering, waist noted behind ribs when viewed from above. Abdomen tucked up when viewed from the side.

Fat is not healthy!

The main reasons for keeping your pet lean and trim are:

Obesity can reduce life-expectancy
Diabetes is very common - it affects 1 in every 200 dogs and 1 in every 400 cats, and many of these cases are associated with obesity. It has even been shown that 61% of obese dogs have poor glucose tolerance and high insulin concentrations in their blood (both signs of a pre-diabetic state) long before clinical signs of diabetes, such as increased thirst, occur.
Orthopedic problems are made much worse if an animal is overweight. That isn't surprising because the additional weight puts unnecessary stress and strain on the bio mechanics of limb and joint function. It has been estimated that 24% of obese animals have some form of locomotion problem. Veterinarians have many anecdotal reports about obese animals scheduled to have major surgery for their orthopedic conditions which did not require surgery once they lost weight.
Excess body weight increases workload for the heart and almost doubles the risk for circulatory disease to develop.
The risk of developing skin disease is increased in obese individuals
Overweight animals have difficulty exercising because of the effects on locomotion,. and also due to the effects of excess body tissue on respiration - making breathing difficult.
Reproductive problems in males and females is often associated with excess body weight
There is evidence that obese animals have a lower immune resistance to infectious diseases
Obese animals have altered metabolic rates and their individual "set point" for body weight is higher than it should be. This makes achieving and maintaining weight loss very difficult for owners once obesity is establish ed..
Obese animals have a higher anesthetic risk, and a higher risk for wound breakdowns following surgery

50% of dogs and cats in the UK are overweight, but 76% of owners think their pet is healthy weight (Hill's research).
60% of pets in the UK aren't ever weighed.
As with humans, the risk of a dog becoming fatter increases throughout its life.
Research shows that female dog owners are worst culprits
Giving tit bits to animals is a growing problem. One biscuit to a cat is like a human eating a whole packet (Hill's pet research).
40% of pet owners in UK feed snacks to their pets more than once a day.
67% of pet owners in Europe are themselves overweight. Only 15% purchase calorie controlled food. Only 20% take regular exercise.
Some breeds of dog are more predisposed to developing weight problems.
Britain's first animal 'fat clinic' opened in Liverpool in 2005.

If your pet is overweight then you need to do something about it - not doing something is tantamount to cruelty!

Check out the very useful fact sheet from Vitalpet (pdf) which has an action plan for you to follow. It has a common sense approach inclusing the warning that 'The most important factors in any weight loss programme are consistency and commitment. Your pet’s whole lifestyle often needs changing, and these changes need to be adhered to in order to make them effective.'

Some veterinarians recommend the following: Record an accurate pre-diet weight. Reduce by one-third your pet’s total daily ration previously given. Include in this total all treats, snacks, or left-overs if you insist on continuing to provide these. Reweigh the pet in 2 weeks. (Remember if the pet begs for food, that's a good sign! But don’t give in.)

If you find upon weighing your pet after two weeks that it has lost even a little weight, you’re on the right track; keep up this schedule! If no weight loss is evident, again reduce by one-third the amount being fed. Weigh the pet again in two weeks.

Depending upon the results either keep feeding this amount or reduce again by one-third the total amount being fed. If you persist a good outcome is certain. Many veterinarians believe you should not feed the "Reduced Calorie" or "Lite Diets" or "Senior Diets"! These diets have very restricted fat levels to reduce the calories but by necessity have increased the carbohydrate percentages. This increased carbohydrate stimulates additional Insulin secretion which tells the body to store unused calories as fat! There are a multitude of overweight dogs that have actually gained weight on those "Reduced Calorie" weight loss diets.

It is also quite important to get everyone’s cooperation in restricting the pet’s intake. There is usually someone in the household who feels sorry for the dieting pet and surreptitiously provides "just a little" something extra. More helpful would it be for the person to take the pet for a walk or a run to burn off a few calories.

Weight Watchers for Pets?

A quick test to see if your dog is overweight!

Fat is not healthy!

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