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The trend I first wrote about two years ago is only getting worse. Pet obesity rates continue to rise in America, and unfortunately that’s not all. Not only are once-healthy pets gaining weight, ones that are already obese continue to put on the pounds. Cleveland’s Fox 8 profiles the epidemic.
The Association for Pet Obesity recently ran a study that concluded 25% of cats and 21% of dogs are overweight. Those numbers are slightly up from the last study (and the last article I wrote on the topic) in 2010. As already mentioned, one of the most worrying parts of the study is that already overweight animals are getting fatter.
Why is the problem worsening? Part of the reason is that some pet owners simply don’t realize that their pets are overweight. The study, which was also cited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, found that 22% of dog owners and 15% of cat owners thought their pets were normal weight, when in fact they were obese.
At first this might not seem like so much of an issue, right? The image of the fat cat, for example, is prominent in our culture. Mostly it just seems kind of funny – think Garfield. But in fact it’s a serious problem. Just like in humans, pet obesity can lead to arthritis and diabetes, and overall shorten a pet’s life by around 2 1/2 years.
I have a friend who recently found out her Schnauzer is diabetic. First the dog went blind one morning. A vet trip resulted in a diagnosis of diabetes. Now the dog has a laundry list of health problems: blindness, diabetes, and already-existing urinary tract issues.
The dog is only nine years old. Schnauzers can live up to 14 years, so this happened sooner than expected. The vet said that this dog was a rare case wherein the diabetes was genetic, but she that in most cases, diabetes occurs in overweight animals.
In some cases, like my friend’s, nothing can be done to prevent it. But in most it’s just the admittedly not always so simple task just to keep your pet’s weight down.
I’m currently going through this with my new cat Chrestomanci. I don’t want him to develop diabetes, which is more common in cats than dogs, and I know he’s overweight. It’s been a struggle to regulate his food. I’m now feeding the cats three times a day to make sure they both get what they need, and only what they need, and combat some behavioral problems that arose due to the altered feeding schedule.
It’s a giant pain, but it’s worth it. Chrestomanci definitely looks smaller than he did when we first got him. I’m lucky because I owe a lot of that to the exercise he receives playing with Cole; it would be much harder for me to exercise him if he were the only cat in the house.
I’ve already written tips on how to keep pets well-exercised. If your pet is overweight, here are a few additional things to remember:
-Don’t give pets table scraps.
-Don’t give pets special treats; the fat content is usually high. Instead, just use pieces of the pet’s normal food as reward.
-Then reserve this kibble only to encourage the most special and desired behavior. Usually giving our pets our love and attention is reward enough.
Remember to take your pet to the vet for yearly visits. This will help you keep an eye on your pet’s weight.
Related Articles:
Is Age Important When Buying Pet Food?
Do You Feed Your Dog People Food?
Caring for Pets in Cold Weather
*(This image by Minarae is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 License.)
