Weight Problems in Pet Animals
Getting started
How can you tell if your pet is overweight? The best rule of thumb is to feel around the ribs - if you can find them. Cats should look like a straight line from above and the sides, from the front of the shoulders to the hips. No gentle bulges allowed! Dogs at optimum weight should have a waist, and you should be able to feel their shoulders as well (some dogs, like some people actually accumulate fat in the shoulder area, making them appear to have a waist while they are, in fact, overweight). If you cannot find ribs, but can grab handfuls of fat, it is time to start a weight loss program.
When embarking on a weight loss program, you should encourage your pet to exercise as well as cutting his calories, although it is advisable to have your veterinarian complete a physical exam and to start slowly, just as people should do at first.
Problems with weight loss diets
Many veterinarians recommend commercial weight loss diets, and some of these work so well that they are available by prescription only. Dogs and cats do lose weight with these diets, if fed the proper amount, and if the animal's metabolism can handle the increased grain protein and fiber provided by the diet. One common problem that we often see is a gradual degeneration in coat quality. Many animals tend to stay overweight and develop dry flaky coats (making animals on weight loss diets easy to spot).
A much more dangerous problem involves the animal’s pancreas - months to years on low fat diets may make these animals more sensitive to the addition of extra fat in their diets later. If they eat supplements of meat containing fat or even a maintenance pet food after becoming accustomed to low fat diets, the additional fat (to which they are not accustomed) may lead to a disease called pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is sometimes fatal in animals and humans, and can lead to diabetes. These low fat, high fiber weight loss (lite) diets may set the stage for worse problems in the future if you are to use food therapeutically (modulating protein and fat levels for other health problems). If your pet is already on a low fat diet, extra care should be taken as we manipulate the diet and dietary supplements - do NOT try to do this on your own!
New research suggests that the hunger felt by an animal is closely tied with the protein they eat. Diets low in protein tend to make animals hungry, and most weight loss diets are low in protein! We recommend weight loss diets that contain higher levels of protein, with low levels of fat but fortified with omega-3 fatty acids for skin and coat.