A Peaceful Farewell
  • Home
  • The Decision
  • What to Expect
  • Services & Fees
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Additional Services
  • Pet Loss Support
  • Pet Memorials
  • Testimonials
  • The PAW Blog
  • FAQ
  • Home
  • The Decision
  • What to Expect
  • Services & Fees
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Additional Services
  • Pet Loss Support
  • Pet Memorials
  • Testimonials
  • The PAW Blog
  • FAQ

Need a Guide for Managing Your Pet's Weight? It's Here

2/25/2014

0 Comments

 
The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has recently released new weight management guidelines for dogs and cats. It is written with an audience of veterinarians in mind, but is also valuable reading for owners, particularly if you are finding it difficult to help your dog or cat get down to a healthy weight or can’t understand why your veterinarian keeps harping on the topic.

The document starts by discussing the severity of the problem…

Up to 59% of dogs and cats are overweight, making this the most common nutritional disorder identified in veterinary practice. Excess weight can reduce longevity and adversely affect quality of life. The hormones and inflammatory cytokines released by excess adipose tissue lead to a state of chronic inflammation, the impact of which is not completely understood at this time. Excess weight is associated with skin and respiratory disorders, renal [kidney] dysfunction, and it increases the risk of metabolic and endocrine disorders (e.g., diabetes), orthopedic disease, and some types of cancer.

… and then goes on to discuss the best way to help pets lose weight.

An effective individualized weight loss program provides a consistent and healthy rate of weight loss to reduce risk of disease, prevent malnutrition, and improve quality of life. Weight loss is achieved with appropriate caloric restriction, diet selection, exercise, and strategies to help modify the behavior of both the pet and client. The success of any program depends on partnering with clients to set expectations, promote client compliance and treatment adherence (compliance and adherence describe the degree to which the client correctly implements medical advice and continues an agreed-on mode of treatment), and overcome challenges presented by each pet.

I won’t go over all the details here since they are laid out so well in the guidelines themselves, but I do want to bring an especially valuable resource contained within to your attention. Table three goes over common problems that complicate weight loss in pets and outlines possible solutions. For example, it is important to remember that begging is a behavior that is not related to nutritional needs or even necessarily to hunger. The guidelines recommend the following solutions to begging:

  • Offer social or activity substitute (e.g., play, groom, walk, offer affection).
  • Distribute a portion of the diet as treats instead of meals.
  • Divide food into more frequent, smaller meals.
  • Use food as salary the pet must earn.
  • Provide environmental enrichment.
  • Use food balls and food puzzles.
  • Place food to encourage exercise (e.g., cat tree/fetch).
  • Choose low-calorie treats (e.g., low-starch vegetables).
  • Remove pet from human feeding areas.
Another common problem involves dogs and cats who don’t want to eat a weight loss diet. The guidelines make the following recommendations:

  • Provide food alternatives with different textures and moisture content.
  • Use treat allowance of up to 10% of the overall calories of the diet as a palatability enhancer.
  • Gradually introduce a new food over ≥ 1wk.
  • For cats, offer the new food side-by-side with the current diet, with gradual removal of the usual food.
  • Avoid offering alternatives if the pet skips a meal; however, do not allow cats to go longer than 24 hr without consuming any meals.


The AAHA Weight Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats may not be the most riveting document you’ll ever read, but if it helps you get your pet down to a healthy weight, it is well worth your time.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    The PAW Blog...
    For the LOVE of Pets
    The goal of this blog is to help educate pet owners by sharing pet health facts and pet news articles...and ... sometimes put a smile on your face with a cute or funny pet story! 

    Categories

    All
    Animal World Records
    Behavior
    Cat FAQ
    Cat Health
    Celebrity Pets
    Cute Pet Pics
    Cute Pet Stories
    Dog Health
    Dogs FAQ
    Dogs - FAQ
    Farm Animals
    Featured Breeds
    Fish And Exotic Pets
    Funny Pet Pictures
    Funny Pet Stuff
    Gift Ideas
    Health Alerts
    Holistic Pet Care
    Lost And Found AZ Pets
    Nutrition
    People & Pets
    Pet Adoption
    Pet Books
    Pet Facts
    Pet Gadgets & Supplies
    Pet Loss
    Pet Names
    Pet News
    Pet Nutrition
    Pet Of The Week
    Pet Poisons FAQ
    Pet Polls
    Pet Recipes
    Pet Rescue
    Pets With Cancer
    Pet Technology
    Pet Training
    Pet Travel
    Pet Trivia
    Pet Videos
    Pocket Pets
    Poisonous Plants
    Quick Tips
    Rainbow Bridge
    Recalls
    Research News
    Upcoming Local Pet Events
    Veterinary FAQ
    Weird Pet Stuff
    Wildlife

    Archives

    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    September 2019
    August 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    September 2017
    July 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

    Search for any topic...

    RSS Feed

Providing compassionate in-home pet euthanasia to fellow pet owners in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, and most of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area
(480) 760-5896
email: [email protected]
Picture


Proud Member of the American Veterinary Medical Association

Picture


Proud Member of the AZ Pet Professionals