Have you noticed that your dog/cat seems to be expanding in width a little bit? Struggling to keep up on walks? Struggling to jump up onto benches? Panting more than usual?

Did you know that 40% of dogs >1 year old are overweight or obese??

And almost 50% of casts between 5-10 years old are overweight or obese!!

22% of dog owners and 15% of cat owners are not aware that their pet is overweight

Being overweight or obese has been associated with several health conditions:

• Heart disease
• Insulin resistance possibly leading to diabetes
• Arthritis
• Kidney disease
• Increased chance of your pet doing a cruciate ligament
  • Resulting in a decreased ability to walk, cage confinement and surgery

All of the above can result in a decreased life span for your pet and significant associated costs (i.e. daily medications, frequent rechecks, blood tests, radiographs, surgery etc). You can help prevent that by staying in control of their weight!

Unfortunately we all have busy lives and sometimes it’s a bit hard to fit in that daily walk – that’s ok! Just means we need to work on our diet then!

So you think your pet might be a little bit overweight?? What can you do to help??

• Make sure you’re measuring out the correct amount of dry food you should be feeding your dog/cat!
  • Not just a handful now and then or refilling their bowl when it’s empty
  • Most pet foods will have a guide on the back of the product as to how many grams to feed over 24hrs for a certain weight – remember if you want your pet to loose weight or you are giving him treats/human foods/wet foods you will need to decrease the amount you’re giving him
• Usually it’s the treats/human foods that are packing on the weight – not the actual dry food
• Remember wet food is higher in calories than dry food

If you’re unsure how much your pet should weigh or are struggling to come up with a diet plan just book in to see one of our vets/nurses! Together we can make a plan that tailors to both you and your pet and their lifestyle