With all this talk about New Year's resolutions, and the barrage of weight loss commercials on television, I started thinking about our pets. Do they have the same problems that we do? After doing a little research, I found that pet obesity is one of the top health concerns for American pets. Studies show that about half of all dogs and cats in American homes are overweight or obese, up slightly from 2010, according to a recent study by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. In a nation of 170 million pets, many of them as beloved as children, that means that roughly 85 million are carrying too much weight. And many pet owners are finding that the extra pounds on a pudgy cat or dog can lead to severe – and costly – health problems.
Just like people, overweight pets are suffering from diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis. Aside from the financial costs of these health problems, the average life span of a dog or cat suffering from weight and joint issues dramatically decreases.
So what do we do? The first thing to do is set up an appointment for a routine physical with your veterinarian. Ask about the weight issue and find out your pet's optimal weight. Like with people and their doctors, veterinarians have a hard time broaching the sensitive subject. Many owners think a chubby Fluffy is cute, but what they don't realize is that they may be contributing to the suffering and shortened life span of their beloved pet.
While some drugs or disease conditions (hypothyroidism) may cause a pet to be overweight, more often obesity is caused by overfeeding and high calorie foods. Your vet will help you devise a diet and exercise plan to get your pet back on the track to health and fitness.
Make it a New Year's Resolution to be a healthy family - including your pets. For information about preventing pet obesity or tips on helping your pet lose weight, click here.