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Don't Let These Issues Weigh Your Pet Down
Many people have asked us questions about their pet's weight. But why should that matter? Considering the growing concerns about obesity for the American public in general, these same concerns also affect your pet.
Overweight pets, just like people, have higher risk for many types of medical disorders. Their excess weight may contribute directly to a health problem or simply exacerbate an existing one. These health issues include:
- Heart disease and other cardiac problems
- Diabetes
- Liver disease and related disorders
- Joint stress and mobility disorders
Quite possibly, their excess (or lack of) weight itself may be a symptom of a current medical problem, most notably, an under active thyroid gland.
How can I tell if my pet is overweight? Just as with people, the fact that your pet weighs a certain number of pounds does not mean that he is overweight or underweight. Instead, you need to also consider his overall size. (Is he simply just a big dog? We have seen 60 pound labradors that were obviously overweight and 105 pound labradors that obviously were not.) Unless your pet falls into one of the extreme ends of clearly weighing too much or too little, it is not always easy to determine your pet's weight condition. But there is an easy source for help, Dr. Johnson.
Please remember that like age, weight is relative between pets and people. (Recall the old adage that "one dog year is seven human years.") People are much larger than cats and dogs. Therefore, excess weight must be considered differently too. For example, consider a thirty pound Scottish Terrier that should weigh twenty-five. That extra five pounds may not sound like too much, but that is the same as a normal 150 pound person weighing 180, thirty extra pounds! For cat owners, what if your little eleven and a half pound feline should weigh ten instead? That's an extra twenty-two pounds on that same normal 150 person, 172 pounds!
Just as with people, a leaner dog or cat has numerous benefits in comparison to being overweight. Please consider:
- Greatly reduced risk of medical issues including heart disease, liver disease, and diabetes.
- More energy and more activity.
- Less stress on joints thereby decreasing pain and discomfort for senior and arthritic pets.
- Spend less money on pet food and treats.
- Longer life-span.
- Spend less on veterinary visits to keep your pet healthy.
First off, Dr. Johnson can tell you right away about your pet's weight concerns. Even Sandy or Crystal can easily answer your question. It's not that pet owners don't understand these weight issues, but they tend to give their pets the "benefit of the doubt." (People do it to themselves all the time.) Also, Dr. Johnson and the technicians see thousands of dogs and cats every year and they can tell you clearly from experience how your pet is doing. Just ask.
If your pet doesn't have any "weighty" issues, great! However, if your pet needs to gain or lose, we can help there too. After all, affecting change is the whole point.
If there is a medical problem, we will address that first. For example, if your dog has an under active thyroid gland, we can administer medication to correct the problem and explain what hypothyroidism is and how it affects your dog.
If there isn't a medical problem, we can make recommendations for proper amounts of food to feed your pet and for exercise and treats. To best help us help you, please make a note of the pet food you use and how much you give to your pet. We will also ask about treats and your pet's activity level. (Be honest with us, we do NOT judge. Regardless of the cause, a pet's weight gain is not a reflection of his owner's lifestyle, but in the same token, often that lifestyle can be moderated with minimal effort, to have a happier, healthier pet.)
We welcome and encourage you to visit us and conduct routine weigh-ins at no charge so that we may monitor your pet's progress and suggest possible changes in feeding schedules and lifestyle if needed.
Our live-in mascot Igloo is currently on this program and progressing well.
