Dogs and Weight Reduction
Weight loss is difficult for everyone: two-legged or four-legged! However, losing weight and getting in shape can add not only years to you or your pet's; it can also make those extra years enjoyable. Shedding a few pounds off your cuddly canine may be easier that you think. It simply requires understanding the need for weight loss and fitness, attention to details and simple assistance from your veterinary healthcare team.
Why a Healthy Weight is Important for Your Dog
As few as five pounds above your dog's ideal weight can put it at risk for developing serious medical conditions. Unfortunately, when a dog is overweight or obese it no longer is a question of "if" your dog will develop a condition secondary to the excess weight but " how many and how soon!" Some of the common disorders associated with excess weight include:
Type II diabetes
Heart disease
Osteroarthritis
High blood pressure
Many forms of cancer
Further, overweight and obese dogs are expected to live shorter lives than their fitter, normal weight counterparts. Heavy dogs tend to physically interact less with their families and are less energetic and playful. Because they tend to lay around more , it is easy to overlook illnesses we attribute their lethargy to to their "normal laziness." We are just learning how serious and threatening a few exta pounds can be for both humans and our companions.
Start with Calories
For weight loss, the formulas seem simple enough: fewer calories in plus more calories out equals weight loss. Unfortunately, It's not as simple as the formula makes it appear. For starters, you should never put your dog on a diet without the assistance of your veterinary healthcare team. This is due to the fact that there may be a medical condition that is causing your dog's excess weight. Some common diseases asssociated with weight gain include hypothyroidism, and hyperadrenocortisim or Cushings disease. These diseases, along with others, should be eliminated as possible causes or contributors to you r dog's weight issues prior to beginning a diet. Too many dogs start on a diet and fail to lose weight simply because the diet was not the problem - a disease was.
Start with Calories
Let's start by calculating the calories your dog needs. You first have to have your dog examined by your veterinarian and an ideal weight calculated. Based on your dog's degree of excess weight, you may choose a target weight higher than the ideal weight to start. The general guidelines for safe weight loss in dogs are 3-5% body weight loss per month. For many dogs, the best way to feed will be by offering a diet food several times per day. It is vital that you count calories when entering into a weight reduction program. Feeding too much will result in no weight loss and feeding too little can potentially result in serious consequences such as hepatic lipidosis.
The Art of Changing Diets
When you are introducing a new diet to your dog, allow several days for the transition. In general we recommend gradually adding the new diet over a 7-10 day period. Start by substituting one-quarter of the diet for one or two days, then incerase to one- half total volume of food for the next few days, then three-quarters new food for a few more days until completely switching to the new diet.
Exercise the Right Way
Based on observations of people walking with their dogs, the average pace is 20-25 minutes per mile. That is a slow stroll with frequent pauses to allow their dog to sniff interesting objects or mark territory. Walking for weight loss is very different than walking for pleasure. Make your objective to walk briskly. we recommend starting out with a faster pace in the beginning of the walk. Too often if you sart out slowly, sniffing and marking, you may have a more challenging time getting them to speed up. We are going nowhere near an all out sprint when walking for fitness. However, if your dog seems to tire quickly and starts panting excessively, slow down, but keep going, don't allow your dog to stop frequently in the middle of the walk unless he seems overheated or out of breath.
Set Time Goals
For most overweight or obese dogs with normal heart and lung function, normal blood pressure, and no other existing medical conditions You can start with 30 minute walks five times a week. Here is a sample schedule:
Week 1 30 minutes total 10 minutes brisk followed by 20 minutes casual pace
Week 2 30 minutes total 15 minutes brisk followed by 15 minutes casual pace
Week 3 30 minutes total 20 minutes brisk followed by 10 minutes casual pace
Week 4 35-40 minutes total 30 minutes brisk followed by 5-10 minutes casual pace
Week 5+ 35-60 minutes total Two 20-30 minute walks per day:15-25 minutes brisk followed by 5 casual pace
If you can, walk 30 minutes a day seven days a week. Good for your dog and you!
After putting your dog on a weight loss program, It's critical that you determine if it's working for your dog. Each dog is an individual and may require changes in diet or routine before finding the right approach. In general, your dog should be weighed every month until the ideal weight is achieve. If there is no significant weight loss in one month, typically about one pound, then a new approach should be persued. There is nothing more frustrating than persisting in a behavior pattern that is not achieving the results we desire when a slight change could deliver significant improvements. Work closely and actively with your veterinarian to reach your goals faster and more safely.
Reluctant Patients
What about the dog that wakes you up at four in the morning to be fed or the dog that stares at you during dinner or television time until you give in. Our dogs have trained us well and know exactly which buttons to push when it comes to getting their way. Here are some tips for handling the pleading pup.
Do not use a self-feeder. While this seems obvious, auto-feeders are nothing more than unlimited candy machines to a fat dog. If you must, use an automated feeder that dispenses a set amount of food several times a day.
Pet or Play with your dog when it begs for food. Many dogs substitute food for affection so flip the equation and you may find that playtime displaces chowtime.
Walk your dog or take him outside when he begs. The distraction and interaction may be enough to make him forget his desire for food.
Hold back some of your dog's total food for the day. When the bowl is empty and your dog is pleading, add a few kibbles to the bowl. Try 10 or 15 not a handful.
Add vegetables such as baby carrots, broccoli or green beans to your dogs diet. Go easy on the amount you add to your dog's regular food until your dogs digestive system becomes used to these kinds of dietary changes. Adding them too quickly in large amount may result in diarrhea.
Most dogs love ice. Give they some ice to chew instead of treats.
Multi- Dog Households
What do you do if one dog is normal weight and the other overweight? While there are countless creative sollutions to this problem, there a few that work quite well.
Feed seperately - This is the ideal solution for the multi-dog household.
Do not leave food out while you are away. In this senario you can't be sure who ate what, but the smart money is on the overweight dog!
Most dogs will achieve their ideal weight within six - eight months. If the process is taking longer than this, something needs to be changed. A healthy weight loss would be close to one to five pounds per month based on your dog's size and current condition. Some dogs lose slower while others may shed the pounds more quickly. Remember that the reason for your hard effort is to help your dog live a longer and healthier life. or most dogs, the secret to weight loss is a dedicated, committed and concerned family member. Our dogs don't understand that their excess weight is killing them. It is up to us as good owners to protect them from harm and not inadvertently contibute to their premature death or developement of debilitating diseases. Together with your veterinarian you can help your dog achieve its weight loss and fitness goals safely and successfully. Remember that there are medical conditions that can cause weight gain in your dog. Please be sure to have your dog examined by a veterinarian before starting a weight loss and excerise program.
Cats and Weight Reduction
As little as two pounds above your cat's ideal weight can put him at risk for developing serious medical conditions. Unfortunately, when a cat is overweight or obese, it no longer is a question of "if" your cat will develop a condition secondary to the excess weight but "how many and how soon!" Some of the common disorders associated with excess weight include:
Type II diabetes - an obese cat is at least three times more likely to develop this serious disease compared to a cat of normal weight
Heart disease
Osteoarthritis
High blood pressure
Many forms of cancer - especially intra-abdominal
Further, overweight and obese cats are expected to live shorter lives than their fitter, normal weight counterparts. Heavy cats tend to physically interact less with their families and are less energetic and playful. Because they tend to lay around more, it is easy it is easy to overlook illnesses sine we attribute their lethargy to their "normal laziness." We are just now learning just how serious and threatening a few extra pounds can be for our companions and ourselves.
Start with Calories
For weight loss, the formulas seem simple enough: fewer calories in plus more calories out equals weight loss. Unfortunately, it's not as simple as that formula makes it appear. For starters cats that are overweight or obese must eat. , Their physiology is different than that of humans or dogs and if the do not eat for as little as two consecutive days they can develop a life-threatening form of liver disease known as hepatic lipidosis. It is for this reason that you should never put your cat on a diet without the assistance of your veterinarian.
Get your cat moving! Play with your cat. There are many toys on the market to help you excerise and motivate your cat to play.
