Weight management in pets

PEOPLE all over the world are weight conscious.
In today’s changing times obesity has become more and more of a problem.
In the veterinary field we are seeing the same trend in animals. Approximately 30 to 40 per cent of all pets are overweight. In a multiple pet home chances are that there will at least be one pet that is overweight.

Overweight pets are often less able to enjoy interaction with the family, frequently feel tired and sleep more.

They are also at a higher risk to a whole variety of medical problems ranging from heart disease, arthritis, breathing difficulties and diabetes.

When an overweight pet is brought in to me it usually isn’t because the owner feels it is overweight.

Generally the owner will tell me that ‘Sheba’ is struggling to walk or has difficulty in breathing. Or the increased weight is picked up on a routine vaccination.
Most owners don’t always notice that their pet has become overweight and often my advice about the pets’ weight is greeted with some incredulity.

‘Sheba is not overweight; she’s just cuddly and fluffy!’- This was a German Shepherd dog that weighed 50kg! The average large German Shepherd should weigh around 40kgs.
When a human goes into a doctor or even the local gym, the persons BMI score is worked out in order to check if the person is at their correct weight. With pets we use a system of Body Condition Scoring (BCS).

This is usually done by your vet and is done by assessing your pet. I have included a very rough guide for you to follow at home.

BCS ranges from 1-five with one being very thin and five being obese. It is a rough guide so advice from your vet should be sought should you have any concerns.

• BCS 1- very thin – ribs easily seen and felt, no fat cover.
• BCS 2- Underweight – ribs easily seen and felt, but some fat cover between skin and ribs.
• BCS 3 – Ideal Weight – Ribs visible but good fat cover between skin and ribs, no fat pad on stomach area.
• BCS 4 – Overweight – Difficult to see and feel ribs through moderate fat, cats have a sagging fat pad in stomach area
• BCS 5- Obese – Ribs not visible or felt at all, fat pads over ribs, back and over stomach area.

In a veterinary assessment of BCS we also check the back bones, the abdominal area, the neck as well as the stomach area.

Ok, so for those of you who have rushed outside or the bedroom to check your pets BCS, well done!

If you found that your pet has a BCS of four or five, don’t be too upset.

There are lots of things that you can do to help your dog get back into shape and be as healthy as he/ she can be.

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Here are a few tips on how to feed your dog:

Avoid feeding table scraps and snacks. Most people believe that dogs must have bones as part of their diet.
This is a not true.

They need calcium which is present in most good quality dog foods. Bones also cause a lot of digestive problems such as constipation or diarrhoea.

I know most of you are shaking your heads and saying ‘Nonsense! I’ve fed Fluffy/ Sheba bones all the time and nothing ever happens!’

My only response to that is nothing has happened yet!

I have seen too many dogs suffering or struggling after they have been given bones at a braai.

A lot of people also give the peels of vegetables, such as potato, carrot, butternut peels. I don’t feel that there is any harm in this.

However, starchy foods such as mielie meal or large amounts of bread/ rice will make your dog put on weight.

You should be feeding our dog a good quality pellet food. Make sure you check the bag so that you are feeding the correct amount stated on the bag.
That means that you should have a rough idea as to how much you dog weighs or should weigh.

If your dog is overweight he/ she should be fed according to the weight you want him/ her to be.

Divide meals into two to three times a day to speed up metabolism. This is equivalent to you eating small meals during the day instead of three large meals.

Don’t leave food lying around, particularly if you have children. Toddlers walk around eating biscuits and the remnants (sometimes the whole biscuit) is quickly snapped up by the dog.