Is it really OK for your pet to have a ‘winter weight?’

The new year is upon us and we are all making our New Year’s Resolutions. For many of us, that means thinking about our weight. Well, this year why don’t you work on your pet’s weight as well?

Obesity is a growing health problem in cats and dogs. At this point, there are more housecats that are overweight or even obese than there are cats of normal weight. The statistics for dogs are not much better. Pudgy is not cute and cuddly — it a big health risk! Overweight pets are at a much higher risk of developing diabetes, a condition that can require twice daily injections to control. They are also more prone to developing arthritis, and in cats, hepatic lipadosis, a liver disease that can be fatal. Therefore, we have many reasons to want to help our pets slim down.

As a veterinarian, I often am told “Oh, that’s just their winter weight,” but most human family members have found out that it is a lot harder to lose weight than it was to gain it. This is also the case with the pets in our families. Many dogs and cats do not lose alltheir “winter weight” each year and so every year they have a net weight gain.

How can you tell if your pet is overweight?

Well, all pets should have a visible waist line. This means that when you look at them from above, you should be able to visually see where their ribs end and where their hips begin, because there is a definite hour glass appearance in between. If you can draw a straight line from their shoulders to their hips then they are overweight. If they are oval shaped then they are obese! You should also be able to easily feel their ribs when you stroke their sides and without pushing in with any amount of pressure. If you can’t see the tip of your finger when you feel their ribs then what you are pushing through is fat.

Cats develop “fat pads” between their hind legs. So if you can grab a handful in this area, or if from the side you can see some skin hanging in front of their back legs, then your cat isn’t fluffy, he/she is chubby!

In some cases, we are so used to seeing over weight pets that we don’t even realize they are overweight. It is what we now perceive to be “normal.” Start looking at your neighbourhood’s golden retrievers and labs, for example. How many of them have a straight line from their shoulders to their hips with no hour glass in between and yet you never thought that dog was overweight?

Check your pets today, and we will have more tips later this month on diet and exercise if you find that you can “pinch an inch.”

Your pet deserves the Full Circle of Veterinary care! HRM’s original integrated, holistic veterinary practice, Full Circle Veterinary Alternatives Inc. (www.fullcirclevet.ca) offers complete pet care as well as referred consultations for holistic, animal chiropractic and animal rehabilitation. For more info, call 902 461 0951.