Is your dog carrying extra weight?
You can judge your dog's condition by placing your hands on each side of his rib cage. Can you feel individual ribs easily, and is your dog's abdomen slightly tucked up when viewed from the side? That's the sign of ideal weight. If you can't feel the ribs easily, your dog has no waist and his abdomen hangs, then he's too heavy.
A: THIN: ribs, backbone and pelvis easily seen, no body fat, obvious loss of muscle mass.
B: UNDERWEIGHT: ribs, backbone and pelvis easily palpable, minimal fat covering, obvious waist and abdominal tuck
C: IDEAL: ribs felt but not seen, waist obvious when seen from above, abdominal tuck evident
D: OVERWEIGHT: ribs hard to feel, covered by fat, noticeable fat deposits over back and base of tail, waist and abdominal tuck barley discernible.
E: OBESE: ribs cannot be felt, under heavy fat covering, massive fat deposits over back and base of tail, no waist or abdominal tuck.
What is the cause of Obesity in dogs?
Dogs gain weight for the same reasons as people do:
- They eat more calories than they use.
- They are not as active as they should be.
- Their metabolism has slowed from age.
- They have a medical condition such as heart, thyroid, or other metabolic disorders.
What can I do to help my dog?
Most dogs love to eat and as they obviously enjoy their food, we enjoy feeding them. Overweight dogs do not live as long, but they don’t worry about the future. Why not let your dog live a contented but shorter life? As he gains more weight your dog will become less active and less interested in his environment. As he ages, lameness problems usually make it hard to get around and they become even less active. There will be an increased likelihood of diabetes, respiratory or heart trouble and many other related conditions. These dogs do not fully enjoy their old age because of the health problems. So much for a contented but shorter life.
On the other hand, the lean and lively dog may not be as contented at meal time, but as he ages your dog will continue to be interested in the world around him. He will enjoy running and playing well into old age. Although the lean and lively approach may be better for the dog, it is much harder on the owner. Feeding your pet measured amounts of a quality life stage diet at specific times takes more time and effort and you may have to deal with occasional complaints from your canine friend.
Losing weight is not easy, it takes a commitment from everyone in the household.
- Make an appointment to see your veterinarian for a complete health check and body condition assessment to ensure that your dog is indeed overweight and that the problem is not a medical condition. Determine amount of calories that are needed for the size of your dog.
- Survey the family to find out exactly who is feeding the dog, what and how much they are feeding, including all treats. Try to calculate the total amount of calorie intake per day.
- If your dog is only fed once a day, try to feed smaller portions more often.
- If total calorie intake is higher than amount recommended by your veterinarian, reduce treats first or look for healthy substitutes, reduce size of feeding portions.
- Take your dog for more walks
If your dog is more than 15% overweight your veterinarian may recommend a special diet food that is calorie reduced, low in fat and somewhat higher in fibre. It should have high quality protein so your dog loses only fat and not any muscle mass. Because fibre can interfere with some nutrient absorption, the diet should have a high nutrient content and supplementation with essential fatty acids is recommended. “Light Formula” foods are not intended for weight loss.
Obesity is already a major health concern in people and a similar problem exists in our pets. The University of Liverpool in England and Royal Canin have teamed up to open the first “animal weight management clinic” . Scientists there will give their patients a thorough medical evaluation and have their body fat measured periodically by DEXA, a Dual Energy Xray Absorptionmetry scanner, to accurately calculate their degree of body fat and monitor the success of their diet and exercise program. They put the patients through a specific dietary and exercise regime over several weeks. They hope to improve our understanding of the causes of obesity and to refine methods of treatment and prevention.
Remember, your dog needs your help to lose weight and stay healthy.
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