In
an effort to stay abreast of new veterinary information to offer my clients, I
read several professional journals in stolen moments of “free time.” I recently read an article in the Veterinary
Forum magazine that made me take pause.
My
question to you then is “Are you your pet’s ‘obesity enabler’?” That is, since pets can’t (perhaps I should
say “shouldn’t be able to”) open their food and treat containers by themselves,
are you aware that YOU are the one determining if your pet’s body weight will
be healthy or not?
To
me, it seems like a no-brainer. Pets
should be fed a pre-determined amount of a quality pet food, with treats fed in
moderation for good behavior. I realize that this thinking sounds simplistic,
but simple as it may seem, pet owners have great difficulty adhering to this
recommendation.
You
see, we have this very strong association with our pets called the
“human-animal bond.” This intense love
for our pets drives us to cater to their every desire and adorable behavior. After all, who can say “No” to those begging
brown eyes belonging to that hopelessly endearing pet that would love you ten
times more if you would just share that last bite of pizza crust with them?
As
a lifetime owner of pets and a veterinarian for over 20 years, I can tell you
that if you “just say NO” to your pet’s begging behaviors, your pet will love
you the very same as when you cave in to the bad habit of over-feeding. The
biggest difference being that you will reap a huge benefit of not over-feeding
your pet--- that human-animal bond will not only grow stronger, but it will
also last longer as your pet’s lifespan will be greatly extended.
The
other remarkable benefits of obesity prevention for pets include decreased risk
for diabetes, osteoarthritis, cardiovascular disease, and adverse anesthesia
events. As I tell my clients, if you
truly love your pet (and I know that you all do!), the single most important
thing you can do is to help your pet maintain a normal body weight through diet
control and proper amounts of activity.
Let’s face it…your pet doesn’t put its food in its food bowl…you
do. And, your pet is only as active as
you choose for it to be.
Here’s
another huge benefit of proper diet and activity for your pet---if you focus on
keeping your pet active by taking it on walks or playing with it in the house
or outdoors, you will control your own weight as well. You will feel better and
less stressed as the flood gates for your own “feel good endorphins” open up. If you don’t have a pet, you can always
“borrow” one from a family member or neighbor, or go to a local shelter to
exercise those animals. The end result
will definitely be “win-win” for you and your active companion.
Our
feline family members present an even greater challenge in the weight control
department. My best advice for cat
owners is to be as proactive as possible!
Don’t allow your cat to become overweight as cats truly have a more
difficult time losing excess weight. Diabetes is a common sequela to obesity in
cats and, sadly, controlling diabetes in cats can be rather difficult. Obese cats may also experience
life-threatening fatty degeneration of their livers (hepatic lipidosis) if they
experience a period of anorexia due to any cause.
So
how do you increase activity in cats that are by nature true couch
potatoes? Cats are actually entertained
by very simple household items. Build a
cat gym with split levels out of any stackables already found in your
home. Cats love to perch in and on paper
bags and boxes. These combined with a
rolling ping pong ball, a feather on a fishing pole, or a laser pointer can
provide much needed activity for bored house cats.
Lastly,
purchase the highest quality pet food that your budget permits. Your veterinarian can help you select the
best pet food for your pet’s life cycle stage and he or she will guide you on
feeding proper amounts. Choose to be a
“health enabler” for your pet that is addicted to your long lasting love.
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