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Sunday, June 05, 2005

The Overweight Pet and What To Do About Pet Obesity.

THE OVERWEIGHT PET

A recent survey indicated that 40% of America's pet population is overweight. If you or your veterinarian feel that your pet would benefit from a reduction in body weight, this discussion should help you achieve your objectives.

Very simply put, if your pet is overweight it is taking in (eating) more calories than it needs. Set all excuses aside ... excessive weight in an otherwise healthy pet is a direct result of consuming unnecessary amounts of food. If your pet is overweight it should be examined for heart, thyroid or other metabolic disorders. A detailed history should be taken with emphasis on frequency of exercise, amount and type of food being provided and other parameters relative to calorie requirements.

To begin let us set the record straight on some common misconceptions regarding obesity. Healthy dogs and cats do not need to eat every day; the pet food industry has painted the picture for us of the "eager eater." The impression is that a happy, healthy pet will eat every meal with gusto. Please do not try to entice your pet to eat if it isn’t interested. If you provide a good quality food and a liberal amount of water, your pet will eat when it wants and do better than having to eat when you want. See the pet nutrition section.

Another common myth maintains that ...

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# Posted by a PetLvr @ Sunday, June 05, 2005