Download Weight Management in your Dog - Peak Veterinary Referral Center

Weight Management
in your Dog
Kurt S Schulz DVM, MS,
Diplomate American College of Veterinary Surgeons
Benefits of body weight management
The link between excess body weight and disease in people is well documented and the benefits of a healthy body
weight and exercise are indisputable. Recently similar findings have been documented in pets as well. The similarities
between people and pets regarding bodyweight and health
are striking. Like people, dogs and cats can live longer and
healthier lives when they are not overweight eat a healthy
diet and exercise.
The benefits of weight management in pets is common
sense but the degree of benefit was dramatically demonstrated in a 15-year study recently performed by the Nestle
what or how much they will eat. We must do that for them.
How then can we help our pets maintain a healthy diet and
live a longer healthier life?
Developing a diet plan for your pet is actually a relatively
simple task but it should always be done under the guidance of your veterinarian. The process of developing a diet
for weight loss involves several basic principles and steps:
first, determine how many calories to feed a day; next decide on what food to feed; third, set rules about treats; and
finally, set a schedule for weight monitoring.
Determining how many calories your pet needs to eat in a
day can be done easily and quickly by your veterinarian.
The method we recommend is based on something called
a body condition score and the RER or resting energy requirement. The body condition score helps your veterinarian determine your pets ideal bodyweight. Then your veterinarian can determine the RER, or the number of calories
your dog or cat should eat every day to reach the target
body weight. Most pets can reach their target goals in about
12 weeks, loosing one to two percent of body weight each
week.
Purina company. The study was designed to determine the
effect of diet on the lifespan of dogs and the severity of
diseases such as arthritis. There were 48 dogs in the study.
Half of the dogs were allowed to eat as much food as they
liked. The other 24 dogs were allowed to eat just 75% of
what the first group ate. The results of this study were dramatic. The dogs that were fed a low-calorie diet lived, on
average, 22 months longer than the dogs in the study that
ate 25% more food each day. The dogs given less food also
had a lower incidence and later onset of chronic disease.
Selecting a diet
Selecting a food should be done in conjunction with your
veterinarian. Some owners are very selective about the
type of food they will feed their pets, other animals require
prescription diets that are carefully balanced to provide
proper nutrition with very low calories. What is most important is that your pet receives a healthy diet and that the
daily calorie allowance is not exceeded.
Having your dog or cat eat a healthy diet, maintain a healthy
body weight, and get exercise can significantly extend your
pet’s life span, lower the risk of diseases such as diabetes
and liver disease, and decrease the pain of diseases like
arthritis.
Developing a diet plan
One thing that is different between people and pets is our
behavior. Unlike you and I, our pets don’t understand the
concept of will power. They cannot understand the benefits
of a healthy diet and do not have the will power to control
Peak Veterinary Referral Center, 158 Hurricane Lane, Williston, Vt. 05495
p:802-878-2022, peakveterinaryreferral.com
Diet foods work in primarily by providing bulk with
lower calories. This makes pets feel satiated but with
lower calorie intake. Dry diet foods have increased air
or fiber while wet diet foods have more water or fiber.
You can lower your dogs calorie content by reducing
the amount of dog food and substituting low calorie ingredients like vegetables particularly carrots or green
beans.
A note about treats
Treats can be a real source of excessive and unhealthy calories, particularly in dogs. Dogs love treats,
but the trick is to give treats that are healthy, yet low in
calories. An excellent way to do this is to use vegetables (most dogs love carrots) or rice cakes as treats.
If you are serious about your pet loosing weight it is
important for the whole family to agree to the rules,
particularly those about treats.
Todays Date_________
Current body weight _________
Current BCS _________
Target date _________
Target body weight _________
Target BCS _________
100% of RER in Calories _________
80% of RER in Calories _________
body weight (week 0)________
body weight (week 1)________
body weight (week 2)________
body weight (week 3)________
body weight (week 4)________
body weight (week 5)________
body weight (week 6)________
body weight (week 7)________
body weight (week 8)________
body weight (week 9)________
One Key to Success
Finally, studies have shown that the most important
factor in dieting for pets is monitoring of body weight.
Most veterinary hospitals will allow you to bring your
pet in weekly for checking the body weight at no
charge. That way you can see the great progress you
are making!!!
body weight (week 10)________
body weight (week 11)________
body weight (week 12)________
Exercise helps
The final part of a weight management program is
exercise. If your dog has any orthopedic conditions
it is important to talk to your veterinarian about what
exercise is appropriate. The benefits of exercise for
a pet can also be shared by their owners. A study by
Hill’s and Northwestern Memorial Hospital showed
that people who exercise with their pets exercise longer and report a higher quality of life than those that
exercise alone!
Peak Veterinary Referral Center, 158 Hurricane Lane, Williston, Vt. 05495
p:802-878-2022, peakveterinaryreferral.com