Is Your Pet Carrying Extra Weight?
Watching portions for our pets seems to be viewed differently by different people. For example, I started to think differently when a vet recommended watching Copper's portions. While we may think we're doing our pets a favor by giving out a lot of love, we may be making their lives more difficult due to weight gain. This is especially true if we are unaware of our pets having weight problems because we see them all the time. Since we cannot depend on observation for weight detection, let’s consider how to calculate the healthy weight for pets.
Why Pet Weight Matters
We do not realize how much excess weight impacts pets. It leads to difficulty breathing, pressure on their joints, and increases the risk of diabetes and heart problems. For small cats and medium dogs, a small weight increase can be a major problem.
Maintaining a healthy weight means pets can play and move around more. They live longer and more comfortable lives. Weight is a problem we can easily control with the help of daily choices.
The Rib Test
You can try this check at home. Pet your dog and slide your hands across the ribs. You should feel ribs without pushing hard and see them not sticking out.
Try this analogy, touch the back of your hand. Too skinny. Now touch your palm. Too padded. That's exactly it. The ribs should feel like your knuckles when you make a loose fist. There is some coverage but you can feel the bone structure.
Looking from Above and the Side
While standing, position yourself above your pet. Look down at them at this angle. You should be able to see a waist, with a slight inward curve behind the ribs and before the hips. If the body appears to be straight or bulges outward, that may be a sign of excess weight. From the side, most dogs and cats that are healthy have a belly that tucks up slightly toward the back legs, rather than hanging down or remaining level. Since breeds vary quite a bit, it is a good idea to find information on what is normal for your specific type of pet.
Common Signs Your Pet May Be Overweight
– Increased grooming difficulties, especially cats, Less interest in play or walks, Heavy breathing with mild activity, Trouble with jumps to previous furniture, No visible waist when viewed from above, Waddled gait, Reluctance to climb stairs
How to Get an Accurate Assessment
Step 1: Call and make a specific appointment to talk about your pets weight, and how this can change with time.
Step 2: Ask for a demonstration on how to conduct a body condition assessment for your pet. They can specifically show you how to do the rib test so you can do the rest of the test at home.
Step 3: Ask about a realistic and gradual weight loss goal for your pet. They will probably say that you cannot do anything to forcibly change this weight.
Step 4: Talk about any weight gaining problems that arise for your pet, like some problems with the thyroid or medicines that make your pets hunger increase. Sometimes there's something hidden that will require treatment first.
What Affects Pet Weight
Age is a factor. As pets get older, they need less calories. This is due to a drop in activity levels. And in some cases, we just keep feeding the same amounts we always have. Neutering and spaying pets also means their metabolism is likely to drop a bit.
The calories in treats builds up even faster than we realize. That little biscuit or piece of cheese is like us eating multiple cookies throughout the day. Some of us (myself included) also have relatives who tend to sneak in some extra treats for the pet without the owner's knowledge.
The amount of calories that pets get from their food is just a part of the puzzle. An animal that used to run around the yard, but now naps most of the time, is likely to gain weight on the same food diet. As life circumstances alter, the quantity of food in their bowls needs to be adjusted too.
It's great that you care enough about your pet to notice if they are gaining extra weight. It shows that you want to make sure they are comfortable in the long haul. You are able to talk to your vet to determine the healthiest way to go about it. Remember that small adjustments make a huge impact as time goes on.