Obesity

We all know by now that obesity is a real problem in the world. But did you know that it’s a problem nearing epidemic proportions (I may be exaggerating) for our pets? It’s not only an aesthetic problem, who wants a tubby pet? It can mean health troubles too.

B.W. Huckleberry is definitely NOT obese though he would like to be

Chubby pets are more prone to diabetes, arthritis, liver disease and pancreatitis. It can be a self-motivating factor as well. The fatter your pet, the more weight he needs to lose, the harder it is to get him to move and thus lose weight.

But wait a minute! Losing weight too quickly can be a bad thing too. Always work with your veterinarian to begin a weight loss program. Incorporate a decrease in food intake, increase in activity and frequent (weekly) weighing sessions for a successful program. But your veterinarian can help you decide what type of food you should be using and how much you should be giving. He/she will also help design a proper exercise regimen. By weighing frequently you will see how much loss (or gain) is happening and if it is too much you can adjust right away.

With dogs it is easy to plan a walking schedule and route in order to get in enough exercise. You can also include play sessions to make it more fun. On bad weather days I used to throw my dog’s toys up the stairs and he get exercise running up and down the stairs. He also had a cadre of tricks we’d go through all the time to keep his mind busy. That’s another side effect of exercise!

For cats you might say, I can’t make my cat exercise! Ah, but you can. Many cats love to play fetch with their favorite toys. That’s one possibility but you might also try using a wand toy. They prefer it when you are involved in some way. Other times you can bring out another favorite toy that they haven’t seen in awhile. I guarantee they’ll be intrigued by it. (Always keep some of their toys hidden in a closet or some other place they can’t get to so the toys seem new when you bring them out.)

Timing is important too. One play session we have is right before their last meal before bedtime. I use a wand toy, moving it up and down the stairs and they all partake in stair running. Then they eat and go to bed. I don’t have much trouble with my cats getting me up in the middle of the night because I tire them out and feed them before bedtime.

As for the variety of diets that purport to be for weight loss, I’ll leave that up to your veterinarian and you to decide. Some are high in fiber, some are low protein and some are even formulated to help your pet metabolize it better. I’m not a nutritionist so I wouldn’t even try to tell you about all of those.

Now, I’m again joining Kitties Blue from The Cat on my Head for Sunday Selfies so here’s the selfie for this week. It is Two-y behaving like a domestic cat instead of a feral. He is starting to fit in more and more every day.

Two-y on the dog's bed. He's B.W.'s father