Fat Pets - A Growing Problem

I have very little sympathy for people who are fat. I believe it is something brought on themselves by a simple combination of eating too much and moving around too little. I do, however, have more sympathy for fat pets. My derision in their case I reserve for the owners. After all, it’s not the pet who opens the bag of treats or fills up the food bowl as soon as it’s empty. It is now a well established fact that people are getting bigger but not many people are aware that our pets are too and it is just as damaging for their health as it is ours.

Every day I see many animals who are over-weight but often when I mention it to their owners I either receive a flat denial or they are not even aware there is an problem. The most common thing I hear is ‘but he doesn’t eat very much’. Well no, maybe not in comparison to you, a person at least three times his size, or no, he doesn’t eat much, but what he does have is high fat pet junk food of which a few mouthfuls a day would be sufficient. Once I have gone to explain why the animal is fat, pointing out the lack of waist or the ribs buried under inches of fat, I do get more of an understanding from my clients, but then trying to persuade them to do anything about it is another battle. It is not just the cats and dogs who are getting bigger either, rabbits are often so big they cannot groom themselves properly and a recent campaign by the Blue Cross has highlighted the problem of obesity in horses. The RSPCA have recently brought successful cruelty prosecutions against the owners of pets who were grossly obese. Thankfully, few pets fall into this category but even being mildly rotund will cause them problems and, and this is really the bottom line, reduce their life expectancy

Being over-weight leaves a pet at risk of a huge number of both health and mental problems. Animals who are fat are at risk from problems as wide ranging as arthritis, diabetes, heart problems and cancer. In fact, a list which, if you yourself are over-weight, will not be too dissimilar to the one your GP may have rattled off in your last consultation. Also, it is important not to over-look the mental issues that come with being too fat. Dogs, for example, thrive on being able to smell and investigate the world around them and dash about while they are doing it. If they are physically unable to do this, they can become very depressed, even more sedentary and so be prone to even more weight gain. I experienced this first hand with my cat, who came to me very fat and boring but when he lost weight (practicing what I preach you see!) he became an entirely different character; fun, lively and cheeky.

The combination of eating less and moving around more is a simple one but if it were this easy we would all be the size of Kate Moss! However, dieting your pet is not as difficult as people think. Often merely a change in the kind of food they eat is enough to shed the pounds. Some of the most widely advertised foods in the media are nothing more than the animal equivalent of fast food and are packed with calories and fats. Also, the amounts of treats pets are often given can be astonishing. Consider this, would you give your child a biscuit every time they demanded one? Or would you ration their intake for the benefit of their health and to stop them turning into spoiled brats? Yes? So why do this with your pets? So many animals are given extras simply because they ask for them by ‘turning on their big brown eyes’. The alternative? Gain your pets love and attention by giving them a good brush or playing with them in the garden. I guarantee you it will aid weight loss and also make your relationship with your pet much stronger and more rewarding. Also, one of my pet hates is animals who are fed from the table, it is distracting and disconcerting, not to mention unpleasant, to have a slobbery muzzle just inches from your plate. Again, there is a simple solution to this, don’t have them in the room when you are eating!

So to help a pet lose weight, feed them a low fat food, monitor the amount they are given, cut out the treats and increase their exercise. I promise you it will make a huge difference to your pet’s health and wellbeing and improve your relationship with them. Still not convinced? Then let me appeal to something which is important to everyone, your wallet. A thinner pet is a cheaper one! Not only do they cost less to feed if they aren’t getting innumerable doggy chocs and eating less in general, but they will also be healthier. This means fewer trips to the vets and lower bills when you are there. Now then, a vet offering to save you money, you don’t see that every day, maybe if you follow my advice, I will have to tighten my belt as well!