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No matter the season, overweight and obese body conditions are prevalent among the cats and dogs who live with us. The causes are as multifactorial as they are with humans; diet, genetic factors, lifestyle, and pre-existing medical conditions can all contribute to excess body weight. Being overweight poses similar health risks to cats and dogs, such as a predisposition to diabetes mellitus, exacerbation of osteoarthritis, or overall shorter lifespan. An estimated 60% of household cats and dogs are overweight or obese, according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention.
Your primary care veterinarian is the best resource for body condition assessment and diet questions. There are many readily available scoring guides online, however, that you could also use as a reference. Visible assesments alone are wildly inaccurate, and this is where the experience of a veterinarian and a through physical exam are critical to determine what might be fat versus lean muscle and how body conformation may differ from patient to patient. Your pet’s body can change a lot depending on their life stage as well. What is “ideal” for a puppy or kitten can be very different from pets who are in later life stages. It’s helpful to know what your pet’s current baseline is. Are we starting from an ideal, under-conditioned, or over-conditioned score? When, if ever, was your pet’s last ideal body condition score achieved, and what was their actual body weight at that time?
When it comes to achieving an ideal body condition for our pets, the contributing factor that we perhaps have the most reliable control over is calorie intake. And yet, what and how we feed our pets is sometimes even more complex, emotion-laden, and challenging than what and how we feed ourselves. Unfortunately, pet food labels can be hard to navigate. Although a push is being made to formulate pet food nutrition labels in a format identical to standard U.S. Nutrition Facts Labels, we are likely years away from such a universal improvement. Further complicating pet food selection is the amount of seductive marketing and advertising used to influence consumers. It is very hard to remain immune to persuasive and pervasive targeted ads, slogans, and claims.
The good news is that there are many good-quality, commercially available pet foods on the market. No matter which food you pick, it is essential that you know the exact brand/name, life stage, flavor, and type of food that you are feeding your pet. Calorie content can vary widely based on flavor, even in otherwise seemingly identical foods. Take a photo and forward it to your vet’s office, or at least have it readily accessible when you have an appointment.
How much is your pet eating? Use a standard measuring cup unit, level the cup, and don’t be surprised if we ever recommend weighing the amount with a food scale. Every kibble counts when you are meeting (or exceeding!) the calories needed for a healthy weight in a 10-pound cat. Don’t be embarrassed to share data about treats, handouts, table scraps, dental chews, etc. that your pet consumes daily. As dogs and cats have earned their place as family members, sharing food is a treasured and often joyful part of our relationships with them. We need to take these calories into account when ensuring diets are balanced and not overly caloric. So you don’t necessarily have to pass on the free pup cups at the drive-thru — just please let us know about them.
When the weather takes a turn, the variable that might be impacted the most for our dogs is lifestyle — namely, daily physical activity. Depending on your tolerance (and your dog’s), there will likely be days or weeks when you are unable to spend any significant time outdoors exercising. Many dogs do not need an automatic adjustment in their caloric intake when New England winters arrive. If you have a truly active dog who will be expending significant calories exercising outside in the cold, a bump in daily calorie intake may be necessary to maintain ideal body weight. For the rest of us, we may need a modest reduction in calories over the winter months. If you are able to weigh your dog periodically, track their weights and note any fluctuations before making any significant changes.
As long as the weather isn’t dangerously cold, spending any daily amount of time outdoors is beneficial to your dog both physically and mentally. Boredom busters can be helpful for cold, dark afternoons and evenings spent indoors. Kibble can be placed in a variety of food puzzles, mats, or other slow-dispensing feeders to help keep your dog engaged and have them consume calories at a slower pace. Instead of putting breakfast in the dog bowl on an icy weekend morning, set yourself up with a cup of kibble and use vocal praise and tossed “treats” whenever your dog presents any remotely pleasant behaviors, such as sitting, going to their bed, or even looking at you. Your dog might be far more responsive when they are hungry!
No matter what time of year, check in with your veterinary team before undertaking any weight loss plans for your dog or cat. A telehealth visit might be sufficient to discuss any plans for diet changes or other nutrition topics, if your pet has had a recent physical exam. Balancing a multitude of factors can be challenging when it comes to feeding your pet to an ideal weight. Fortunately, even very modest weight loss in overweight or obese pets can make huge improvements in mobility and overall longevity. This makes the goal of achieving or maintaining an ideal body condition well worth the effort.
