Our 8-year-old Labrador Retriever Sadie is obese according to our vet, and he wants her to go on a weight management diet. We do not wish to feed her commercial kibble. Please advise.
Overweight pets are on the increase, and obesity is one of the most common health problems we see in pets these days. As I tell my clients, it is a man-made issue, as pets cannot feed themselves; we overfeed them or feed the wrong diet and make them obese. Obesity-associated health problems also account for many of the reasons clients bring their pets to us nowadays. It can safely be said that some one in three pets are overweight today.
A dog or cat is considered obese if it has over-accumulation of adipose (fat) tissue exceeding 20 percent above ideal body weight and considered overweight if this is between 10–20 percent. In simple terms, obesity is a result of expending less energy than the energy intake. Therefore, lack of exercise, overeating and feeding too many fatty foods and treats can all lead to obesity in pets.
Certain breeds like Labradors, Dachshunds, Miniature Schnauzers, Cocker Spaniels, Beagles, Basset Hounds and Cairn Terriers are genetically predisposed to obesity. Older animals have a lower metabolic rate compared to younger ones and also tend to be at increased risk of obesity.
Neutered pets also tend to gain weight, as do dogs with endocrine diseases like hypothyroidism, diabetes or Cushing’s disease. Poor-quality diets and commercial diets full of artificial flavors have increased palatability and taste that make pets want to overeat and crave more food.
Finally, pets who have been on medications like corticosteroids and anti-epileptic drugs like phenobarbital also have a tendency to gain weight and become obese.
Problems of obesity
Obese animals suffer from a range of health problems apart from a decreased life span and poor quality of life. These include arthritis due to the excess strain on the joints, joint and muscle pain, heart problems, heat and exercise intolerance, endocrine disorders like diabetes mellitus, pancreatitis (especially in dogs) and fatty liver syndrome (hepatic lipidosis) in cats. Obese animals are also at increased risk of dying under anesthesia.
Apart from all this, it is important to understand that adipose (fat) tissue is not just an inert tissue as previously understood. Studies have shown that adipose tissue is actually an endocrine organ that secretes hormones and adipokines.
Obese animals have excess fat tissue, so they produce an excess of these factors. As a consequence they have low-grade inflammation and increased oxidative stress, which contributes to the joint problems and endocrine disease mentioned above.
Diagnosis
The majority of pet owners are unaware that their pets are overweight. A pet’s annual health check is usually when they get weighed unless they are sick. Most vets nowadays use “body condition scores” and grade pets to alert owners and themselves before a pet becomes obese. There is one for dogs (pictured), and they have one for cats as well.
Obesity signs and symptoms
Outside of a veterinary exam, here are some simple clues that your dog or cat may be obese.
Even though all this appears to be common sense, I can vouch from experience that most pet owners have no idea their pet is overweight or they are in denial. Many are offended when we vets call their pets overweight, but we have their best interest at heart.
Just like we are better off regulating our weight by eating healthy and exercising regularly, the same applies to our pets. We can overeat, but our pets cannot—unless we feed them. So, the ball is in your court to stop your pet from getting obese or reversing the weight gain once it starts.
Both short-term (weight loss and reaching the ideal body condition score) and long-term goals (maintaining the ideal body condition score) are important in obesity management. Neither can be achieved without owner involvement, so half the job is to ensure that you as the pet owner are committed to helping your pet achieve his or her ideal weight. Many pet owners are worried that their dog or cat will stop loving them if they feed them less. This has to be addressed, too.
Feeding a raw or natural wholesome diet is the first step in preventing and treating obesity. Do your research and find one that works for your lifestyle and your pet’s lifestyle. The simple formula is to feed your pet for the weight you want them to be rather than the weight they are now.
Simply replacing 25 percent of your pet’s usual meal with chopped raw or cooked vegetables can help weight loss. Reweigh in two weeks and then replace another 25 percent.
The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (petobesityprevention.org) has good resources for measuring calories. My book You Can Heal Your Pet also has a whole section on diet, feeding and cooking raw and natural diets. Join a weight clinic if your vet’s practice offers one, as it helps monitor your pet’s weight every two weeks.
A reasonable goal is weight loss at the rate of 1 percent of your pet’s body weight per week. Do not crash diet. Cats especially will develop fatty liver (hepatic lipidosis) if they starve. Cats are fussy and will simply refuse to eat if they hate the menu. You have to be patient and switch their food gradually.
Home-cooked diets should follow these basic guidelines. For cats, feed 50–60 percent raw meat and 20–30 percent each of grains and cooked vegetables. For dogs, feed 35 percent raw meat, 30 percent grains and 35 percent cooked veggies.
It’s best to steam the meat if you wish to avoid salmonella or if you have immunocompromised individuals living in your home. Alternatively, opt for store-bought raw foods, which have been deemed free of these organisms by high-pressure processing.
If you are unable to cook and do not wish to feed raw, then it’s not a bad idea to resort to obesity management diets offered by reputed brands, at least temporarily, to achieve weight loss.
Beyond their actual diet, feeding too many high-calorie or fatty treats seems to contribute to fat pets. However, if treats are part of a dog’s routine and a key part of the owner-pet relationship, replacing the high-calorie treat with an alternative low-fat one is necessary rather than stopping it altogether. The majority of treats are not nutritionally balanced and should not constitute more than 10 percent of a pet’s total calorie intake.
Make your own dry meat jerky or buy from holistic dog food sites. Feeding chopped cucumber, celery, carrots or frozen green beans is another simple low-calorie treat option.
Feeding your pets ad libitum, leaving food down all the time, is a bad idea. Meal times are a better strategy and help control food intake. And unless your lifestyle does not permit it, feeding pets twice daily is the best choice. I feed my dog at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Once-daily feeding will slow down their metabolic rate, so twice-a-day is preferable.
A vigorous massage for a good 15 to 20 minutes daily can stimulate circulation, and if you can provide a good acupressure massage it will disperse blocked qi and help improve metabolism, too. See my book You Can Heal Your Pet for more on how to give acupressure to your pet.
Walking, playing, agility and any other form of exercise will help your pet get moving and expend energy just like us. Start with 10 minutes a day and gradually build up to 30 minutes daily. Avoid over-heating obese pets, especially in the summer months.
Cats like chasing light, so try playing with a laser pointer or catnip-stuffed toys. Also buy them interactive toys and puzzles, which will further help them burn calories.
Best Life 4 Pets (www.bestlife4pets.com) makes a homeopathic product for dogs and cats called Healthy Weight that is claimed to reduce cravings, improve fat burning and metabolism and gently suppress the appetite.
Coptis Purge is a Chinese herbal formula that some vets have had good results in very obese dogs with no underlying issues. It is only given for three to five days and helps burn fat.
Earth Animal (shop.earthanimal.com) has come up with a supplement containing antioxidants and enzymes such as lipase and protease to help burn fat and aid digestion called Healthy Weight (Daily Fat-Burner Support).
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