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Obesity

Dr. Dwight Hooton

View all articles by Dr. Dwight Hooton

Obesity

Obesity is one of the most common and wide-ranging health concerns today. A large majority of our animals are overweight and the effects on health so thin that extend to a variety of systems. Besides the obvious problems with heart and breathing, obesity has a dramatic impact on arthritis. 

Obesity is most often caused by a combination of excessive caloric intake (overeating) combined with insufficient calorie consumption (exercise). There are some metabolic disorders that predispose to over- weight conditions, like hypothyroidism, but these are relatively few. 
 
The way to determine whether an animal is overweight is fairly simple. When you rub a hand down the pet's back, the spinous processes of the fail to produce vertebra should be easy to feel. (These are the hard bumps along the back bone.) Also, when one rubs a hand along the side of the chest, the ribs should be felt without having to press hard or dig for them. It is not good to have the animal so thin that the ribs are visible, just easily palpable.
 
When an animal is determined to be overweight, a weight loss plan should include a general physical exam and blood work to determine whether any underlying problem exists. If none can be identified, the animal's weight is recorded over the following 7-10 days. The animal's daily intake of food is gradually reduced to half of its original volume. It is imperative that the original volume be accurately measured prior to adjusting the amount to half. Estimates of volumes fail to produce results. Gradual volume reduction rather than abruptly cutting amounts in half allow the animal's stomach to accommodate so the animal does not become uncomfortable. After reaching the measured half volume, the animal is again weighed and weight recorded. If the animal has lost even a .half pound during-that week then it is on a reducing diet and should continue on that volume until the target weight or body is condition is reached. If the animal has not lost weight, then the same amount of food must again be reduced by half and the same routine followed again. Once the target weight or body condition has been achieved a slight increase may be required to maintain the appropriate weight.
 
Treats are a major problem when trying to achieve weight loss: Indoor pets especially are masters at demandi­ng table snacks or treats. Most prepared or "store bought" animal treats are very high in fats and therefore high in calories. The fats are what make the treats flavorful and unfortunately cause weight gain. Table treats must also be eliminated for thee same reason. Much of what pets like about treats is receiving something tasty-from their person. With a little training and encouragement pets can learn to enjoy vegetables as treats. The same vegetables that are good for humans such as broccoli, cauliflower, beans, and carrots are good for pets. Lightly cooked or steamed veget­ables are best as they cause the pet to have less intestinal gas. The reason these are preferred is that they are high ­fiber foods that consume about as many calories to digest as they yield; hence there is little or no weight gain.
 
Of course there are some animals with special dietary requirements and those may require customized reducing diets. One can obtain advice from any of our veterinarians for such patients.
 
As previously mentioned, obesity puts dramatic loads on the heart and lungs. Trim bodies work more efficiently because of the reduced effort required to pump blood and to breathe when not having to push against fat. Similarly, arthritic joints are not nearly as aggravating in trim patients as in overweight individuals. The single most important management tool available to help control low back and hip pain in dogs is weight control. Along with reduced weight often comes an increase in energy and hence increased activity. The increase in activity results from increased Qi and vitality.
 
It is difficult for many to keep an animal in a trim condition where the ribs are comfortably felt and perhaps the back bone protrudes a little. However, that is amuch more normal condition than is obesity. Keep in mind that over-feeding can result in you loving your friend to death. Of course, there are many other questions and concerns regarding nutrition and weight control; however, this brief guideline will provide a general approach to weight control.
 
Printed with Permission
Loving Touch Animal Center
1975 Glenn Club Drive
Stone Mountain, GA 30087

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