The battle of the bulge does not belong to man alone. According to Dr. Kevin Ade, veterinarian at Middle Valley Animal Hospital in Hixson, Tenn., more than half of all dogs and cats in the U.S. are overweight. And, as with their human counterparts, extra pounds can introduce Max or Tiger to a multitude of health issues, including heart, kidney, and liver disease.
The blame for the excess of plump pups and corpulent cats in America lies with pet owners, many of whom have no idea how little food their pets actually need to eat to be healthy, Ade says.
“I asked a man who was buying dog food at a grocery store how many treats he was giving his dog every day. He didn’t know.”
Instead of reading the instructions on the box or bag of cat or dog food, animal owners fill their bowls on demand, allowing their pets to eat all day and ingest more calories than is necessary. By the time a 40-pound dog is carrying six extra pounds, he or she is obese.
“Every day, half of my battle is talking with people about obesity. A lot of that is because they’re overfeeding their pets. They don’t know when and how much they should feed them,” Ade says.
Food volume is not the only cause of overweight pets; the kinds of foods animals eat also impact their weight. Ade is especially opposed to people feeding their cats or dogs off-the-shelf treats. “Animals don’t need treats. They’re packed with calories,” Ade says.
The next biggest offender is table food – another big no-no.
“If you give your pet a piece of ham, he or she is going to eat that instead of cat or dog food. Most people say they give their pet just a little bit, but they do it at every meal,” Ade says.
When it comes to overeating, and eating the wrong foods, the source of the problem is love, Ade says. “We love our pets, so we give them what they want.”
Compounding the weight problem is a lack of activity, especially when it comes to cats, Ade says. “Cats just lay around the house watching soaps. I call them couch potatoes.”
Dogs are naturally more physically active than cats, but being cooped up in a house or a backyard all day can limit the amount of exercise a canine gets.
“You come home, and you have a ton of stuff on your mind, so you feed your dog and pet him for a few minutes, and then you move on to other things,” Ade says.
Just like the causes of pet obesity are similar to those of weight gain in humans, the solution for portly Persians and chubby Chihuahuas will sound family to any person who’s had to shed a few pounds: eat less and exercise.
Ade says to eliminate treats and table foods, then, depending on what a dog or cat weighs, reduce his or her daily intake of food by one-third.
“Cats and dogs do not need to eat three meals a day. Their digestive system is different from ours; so, they have a different set of protein, fat, carbohydrate and caloric requirements,” Ade says.
Owners whose cats or dogs are obese might want to consider placing their pet on a prescription diet and measuring the amount of calories their animal is consuming, Ade says. Since the food will be blander than what the pet is accustomed to eating, he or she will likely refuse to eat it at first. At that point, the pet owner’s love needs to turn into tough love, Ade says.
“Put it down, walk away, give your cat or dog 20 minutes to eat it, and then put it away. Then do the same thing that evening. On about the third day, your cat or dog will eat whatever you put down.”
When it comes to physical activity, 20 minutes of intentional time can go a long way with a pet.
“Sit down with your dog, pet him, and toss a ball around. You’ll be amazed at how much calmer you feel, too. Spending time with your pet relieves stress,” Ade says.
Above all, be patient. Animals on a diet normally lose about a pound a month.
“If you have a 15-pound cat, and you want to get it down to 12 pounds, that’s 20 percent of its body weight. It would take a few months for a person to lose that much weight,” Ade says.
And, just like people, the benefits of weight loss include improved health, more energy, and feeling better, Ade says.
“You can love your pets and treat them like a human in every way except food. When it comes to food, feed them like a cat or
a dog.”