For reasons I can't explain, I can't locate William Hageman's excellent story in Sunday's Chicago Tribune , from November 6 , "The Incredibly Growing Pet" on the Trib's website.
It's true, about half of the pets in America are overweight. According to a new survey conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, approximately 53% of cats and 55% of dogs were overweight or obese. Data released from a nationwide collaboration with Banfield, the nation’s largest chain of veterinary clinics, reveals pet obesity continues to be a serious problem. Breaking down these numbers further, 32% of cats in the preliminary sample were classified as overweight by their veterinarian and 21.6% were observed to be clinically obese or greater than 30% of normal body weight. 35% of dogs were found to be overweight and 20.6% obese.
So, what do these numbers mean? There's no doubt that being overweight impacts quality of life, especially in older pets. It seems some types of cancers are likely more prevalent in overweight pets. For sure, osteoarthritis occurs more often in overweight pets. Being overweight could make cats more prevalent to kidney disease at an earlier age. For sure, there's a link between excess weight and diabetes.
Various behavior problems are also more likely to occur in overweight pets. And sometimes these pets are even given up to shelters as a result. Overweight cats are very prone to have litter box issues, voiding and/or defecating outside their litter boxes. Dogs might be more likely to bite, even....it's because they are themselves in pain or uncomfortable. In fact, some behaviorist believe that many obese pets are actually clinically depressed.
So, how and why are our pets growing wider and wider? In his story, Hageman notes that Dr. Thomas Graves from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine compares the overweight epidemic in pets to the epidemic in childhood obesity. That may indeed be true - but it's more complex. . . the explanation is likely a combination of factors, some depends on individual pets' predispositions.
Here, in a random order, are reasons why there are so many overweight pets...I talk about this to veterinary professionals around the world at veterinary conferences, particularly about environmental enrichment and about training and exercising indoor-only cats.
1) Some owners actually believe fat is "normal," particularly for certain breeds. People don't recognize their pets as overweight as the pets didn't grow wider overnight. The trend of overweight pets has been happening for decades. So, while 20 years ago, those same pet owners might have been shocked, today the view of what is a normal is skewed.
2) In small dogs and cats even a few pounds matters a lot! Think about it, it may be 3 lbs. gained in six months in a 14 lb. cat or 20 lb. dog. Well, that's like me or you gaining around 15 to 20 over percent of our own body weight. Still, because it is only a few pound, and because you live with that pet, it may be hard to notice without the pet being weighed. As veterinary visits decline, this simple fact may go unnoticed longer.
3) How does a veterinarian even bring up the topic, when the pet's owner is obese? Some veterinarians do so, and are ignored.
4) As the moist food vs. dry food debate for feeding cats rages on, it does seem clear that for some cats a diet of dry food only does seem to add pounds. It's a matter of too many carbohydrates and not enough protein (which is found in moist food).
5) Table snacks. Listen there's nothing wrong with a little bit of turkey (for example), if there's no fat on the slice - but remember one slice for a Yorkshire Terrier is very different than a slice to a German Shepherd dog....a 65 lb. German Shepherd can easily handle that occasional slice. To a 7 lb. Yorkie, a generous slice is nearly like you or I eating a quarter or half a turkey. While little mini carrots or little pieces of apples are actually healthful to dogs (as they are for us), we tend to offer what dogs like, salty lunch meats, for example. Again, truth is, every once in a while - it's likely to big deal - but many pet owners make these table snacks a daily ritual and the calories do add up.
6) We tend to free-feed our cats, leaving the food dish out all the time. Most people with a cat actually have more than one cat. How do owners' know which cat is eating how much? Well, you can't know. What more, in time, the cats train us to be automatic food dispensers. While some cats do have an "automatic turn off switch," most do not as people believe. The truth is that most cats seem not to. If it is there - they will either nibble away at it, or chow it down.
7) Most pets don't get enough exercise. This is very true for dogs. And likely even more true for cats. We mistakenly believe cats either don't need or won't want to exercise. As dogs or cats move around less, their metabolism transforms over time. And this is when the snowball effect occurs....the cats or dogs move around less, except to eat more....and their metabolism transforms slowly....so they are less inclined to want to move around so they gain even more weight and on and on. Arguably, it's safer for cats to be indoors only - but as we've kept them inside only, they often do little indoors, except to eat (and if you are lucky, use their litter boxes).
Hageman offers these tips in his piece to determine if a pet is overweight:
- It's difficult to feel ribs under fat
- Sagging stomach
- You can grab a handful of fat
- Broad flat back with no waist
In my column for the CatChannel.com, I write specially about the problem of overweight cats, and offer some tips for cat owners on how to help their cats to lose weight.
Filed under: cats, dogs, health, healthy pets, pets, veterinary health
Tags: Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, Banfield the Pet Hospital, Dr. Ernest Ward, Dr. Thomas Graves, environmental enrichment, fat pets, feeding cats, obese pets, overweight pets, Steve Dale, Steve Dale archives, University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, William Hageman
