How to Induce Weight Loss in a Dog or Cat?

How to Induce Weight Loss in a Dog or Cat

Weight Loss in a Dog or Cat, The most important subject to be addressed is nutrition. Your pet’s energy intake (caloric intake) should be monitored. Remember, dogs and cats in general only need 300 to 500 kcal per day. Every calorie a pet eats should be counted, even pet treats or bites of people food.
Every pet food has a different amount of calories per cup; therefore, when changing foods, you must read the bag for recommended feeding amounts. An overweight-management food is recommended and is available from every major pet food manufacturer. These foods have been tested to ensure that the recommended amount of food will meet your pet’s requirements. Some foods may be higher in fiber to aid in weight loss, while others will be higher in protein. If your pet does not respond well to one type of food, you may have better success with another. There are now several excellent weight loss foods available for both dogs and cats.
Ideally, an overweight or obese pet’s activity level should increase. This can be challenging with dogs that also have other medical disorders such as heart disease or arthritis and is virtually impossible in any substantial way with cats. However, taking dogs on brief leash-walks at least once a day, slowly increasing the distance over a period of weeks, can be very helpful. Dogs and cats also enjoy retrieving balls, sticks, or play mice. Using toys to increase your pet’s activity level is a good idea, in moderation: a little bit of extra activity every day is better than a great deal all at once and then no more. Laser pointers or even flashlights make an excellent toy for most cats, and some dogs. They will often chase after the light, burning calories while having fun. Just be sure that you take away any stuffed toys once they become torn so as to help prevent your pet (dogs especially) from swallowing the damaged toy, potentially leading to an obstruction in the stomach or intestines.
Successful weight loss takes time. Perhaps the greatest predictor of successful weight loss is endurance on the family’s part. Pets should only lose a maximum of 10% of their body weight per month. This is a small amount compared to what humans can lose. For example, a 20-pound (9-kg) dog should only lose 2 pounds (900 grams) per month.

The entire family must be on board when starting a weight-loss program. Treats must be monitored and strictly limited. Often, pets are obese just as much from the treats they are eating as from their actual food. Any extra calories the pet receives can be detrimental to the weight-loss program.
If a pet begins to limp, is unable to get up after walks, or becomes extremely inactive, please contact your veterinarian. These could be signs of excessive physical activity and/or morbid obesity.

Begin by determining, with your veterinarian, what an ideal lean body weight is for your pet (target, or goal weight) and what a realistic time frame is for decreasing the weight to this level. Then mathematically, you and/or your veterinarian can calculate how much food to feed if providing slightly fewer calories per day than the body uses, causing the metabolism to switch to consumption of excess fat as fuel. The typical time frame is 3 to 6 months to restore normal body weight.

1- Weigh your pet at least once a month to ensure weight loss. If your pet is not losing weight with your current methods, then some changes need to be implemented. This may include diet and/or exercise method

2-Your veterinarian may welcome quick visits for these weigh-ins. This is especially useful for very small or very large pets because your veterinarian has a scale that will work well for the animal’s size.

3-If you will weigh your pet at home, you can use a human home scale. Simply weigh yourself, then pick up your pet and weigh again. Now, subtract your own weight from the total, leaving you with just the weight of your pet. This method works best for medium to large cats and medium-sized dogs.

4-Measure the food. Free-fed pets will likely gain weight. When dishing out portions of food measured in cups, make sure your measuring cup is an 8-ounce (250-mL) cup, not a large disposable beverage cup. For smaller pets, you may need to use a ¼- or ½-cup measuring device.

5-Keep a food diary of the food your pet eats. Include all treats the pet receives and the number of cups fed per day. Calculate the total number of calories and determine if this is 10% less than the recommended baseline caloric intake for an animal of the age and size of your pet.

6-Treats may have to be decreased or substituted. Pets don’t really need treats, so if you are willing you might substitute something else your pet enjoys (petting, ball play, etc.) for food treats. If you want to give food treats, there are low calorie options. Dogs often enjoy canned green beans, squash, broccoli florets, baby carrots (fresh), pieces of apple, wedges/quarters of plain rice cakes, cubes of cooked squash, and individual Cheerios. These can give a dog the impression that he/she is eating something offered by hand (so it is a treat) without the richness and caloric bulk of commercially processed treats or table food. Just be sure to avoid foods toxic to pets, such as grapes, raisins, avocados, and onions.

7-Instead of showing your pet love by feeding them, show them love with attention. Some of the greatest success stories about healthy pets that have reached a lean body weight also involve a greater bond as a result of the process.

8-Make pets work for their food. Just remember that calories they must find still count as calories!

-Dogs: Hollow, thick rubber (Kong) toys can be excellent distracters. Place kibbled dog food inside the Kong toy and they must push the toy around for the kibble to drop out.

-Cats: Place food bowls in different parts of the house; this makes the cat go from place to place to eat.

–Feed pets half the daily portion twice daily. Doing so can help keep blood sugar levels more stable and can decrease begging behavior.

Once your pet has lost weight, be sure to keep the lean body condition you worked so hard to reach. You will now know how much your pet can eat and still feel well; be sure to stay within that range, including treats.
Maintain the activity level you have reached. Many dogs enjoy running, jumping, and playing, and many cats enjoy climbing and chasing; these activities, when encouraged, can help them stay trim.
Older pets are at higher risk for arthritis, just as people are. Your veterinarian can provide medication to relieve the symptoms associated with this condition if it occurs, so physical activity can still take place comfortably. book an appointment today to check your pet wellness. 

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