OBESITY IN PETS

Overview:

Obesity is the most common nutrition-related health condition in pets today. A pet becomes overweight when it regularly consumes more calories than it burns off. This is caused from a number of things i.e. lack of exercise, free-feeding, treats in excess, and fulfilling the“beggars” need during dinner time, or any time for that matter. As always, we recommend having a Veterinarian review your pet for any medical causes of the symptoms or any additional concerns that may be affecting your pets well-being. Obesity can lead to many additional health risks that will ultimately result in a shorter lifespan and less energy and ability to combat the increasing symptoms as a result. It is much easier to prevent these increased concerns by keeping your pet on a measured amount of food rather than “free feeding” as well as ensuring regular exercise. Exercise will not only decrease the chances of obesity related concerns, but also increase alertness and ability to better adapt to the stresses of everyday life.

Common Symptoms:

Besides the obvious signs of obesity (extreme weight gain and lack of defined musculature and body profile), pets suffering from obesity can develop difficulty
breathing, joint stiffness and pain, difficulty seeing, and ultimately have a shorter lifespan due to multiple complications.
Symptoms may begin to add up over time, so it is important to address the issue of an
overweight pet before obesity fully sets in.

Next Steps:

• Feed an Ultra Premium Food: Muttropolis only carries foods considered ultra-premium.
  Ultra premium Foods are distinct mainly by the high standards placed on their
  ingredients. All ultra premium foods are made from 100% Human Grade ingredients and
  contain absolutely no “Bi-products” or fillers that are often high in carbohydrates and fat.
  “Bi-products” is a loose label that can include many undesirable meat sources that can
  change between bags of the same type of food. Also, Ultra Premium Foods avoid fillers
  that have no nutritional value and are often high in fat and carbohydrates. Please ask a
  Muttropolis associate for more information on the importance of Ultra Premium Foods.
• Avoid “Free Feeding”: Providing your pets with two measured meals a day of an Ultra
  Premium Food will guarantee that your pet is not overeating and only consuming the
  amount of food to sustain their energy throughout the day. Ultra Premium Foods are
  packed with the necessary balanced nutrition, so ultimately you will feed less food,
  reducing waste and the consumption of empty calories. Also, feeding measured meals
  will alert you to any changes in appetite that could be a sign of other health concerns.
  Reduce the feeding amount gradually between 2-4 months to ease the pet into the new
  feeding patterns.
• Provide regular exercise: As a pet owner, it becomes your responsibility to provide
  adequate and regular exercise. It’s important to vary the form of exercise between play
  and walks to ensure your pet remains mentally stimulated and alert.
• Avoid over treating: Giving excessive treats will reduce your pets desire to eat regular
  balanced meals. Using treats in training and to encourage positive behaviors is important.
  Excessive treating can lead to undesired behaviors such as begging.

Recommended Foods & Supplements:

There are many great varieties of Ultra Premium Foods that could benefit your pet. If the food is not necessarily designed as a lite formula, other varieties of these lines can be used and fed the recommended dose for less active or overweight pets. Always read the recommended amount as each brand may have different caloric qualities.

Dry Foods/Kibble

• Natural Balance Reduced Calorie Diet (Dog or Cat)
• Wellness Weight Management for Dogs
• Wellness Lite Formula for Cats
• Nature’s Variety Raw Instinct (Dog or Cat)
• Innova Evo (Dog or Cat)
  

Canned/Wet Foods

Canned foods are packed with nutrients and if relied on as a main food source could be troublesome for pets who are prone to obesity. Using these as supplements to a regular diet are a great way to increase the pets interest in the new foods or to provide beneficial moisture (especially beneficial for cats).

Frozen/Raw Foods

Summary of Bones and Raw Food Diets: Before dogs became domesticated, the diet of dogs was mainly small rodents, birds, and leftovers of larger predators. These filled all their nutritional needs - protein and fat from the tissue, fiber from hair and feathers, plus nutrients from the partially digested food of the prey. The closer we can recreate our animals' diets to what their body is designed to eat, the healthier they will be. Raw foods can be very beneficial for dogs suffering from Obesity as there are no fillers or carbohydrates. Please ask a Muttropolis associate for more information on feeding a raw diet or supplementing a kibble diet with raw foods.

• Halshan’s Premium Raw Food
• Nature’s Variety Complete Raw Diets

Supplements

• K-9 Liquid Health: Weight and Diet This is a high absorption liquid that contains Collagen, L-Carnitine, and Kelp. It’s easily mixed into wet or dry foods. It contains nutrients that aid in metabolizing calorie intake and decreasing appetite.

Additional Note:

We always recommend speaking to a qualified Veterinarian to ensure there are no other underlying causes or issues which may need more immediate medical care.