Levittown Animal Hospital Blog

They say that dental disease is the most commonly diagnosed ailment among companion animals.  While at least 60-75% of my patients have some degree of plaque, tartar, gingivitis, or periodontal disease …I still think I have a greater percentage of adult dog & cat patients who are overweight or obese.  Yup, I said it.  More than 75% of my patients need to lose weight.  I won’t begin to guess how many of their owners have a hefty BMI.

Here is the problem: Most of the owners of my overweight patients don’t think their pets are overweight.  It’s not that they’re not in denial of the problem (ok, some are) -they’re completely oblivious to it.  A good portion of the owners think their plump playmates look cute when they’re chubby (I’m sure that 1600 pound guy was thinking about how cute he looked while being lifted out of his apartment by a crane).  Another group of owners readily admit to owning a fat dog but still insist on feeding table scraps and treats on top of their expensive low-calorie food (kinda like ordering a Diet Coke with your Big Mac).

Every year, i see at least half a dozen articles in various journals suggesting different techniques to talk to my clients about their pets being overweight.  All of these articles would like me to tiptoe around the issue when the owners themselves are also visibly obese.  I guess I’m not supposed to offend anyone with my medical diagnoses.   And I guess I’m a bad person for ignoring all of this advice because here’s reality as I see it:  My clients pay me for an accurate diagnosis and to be an advocate for their pets.  If I walk into a room and see a 20 pound chihuahua or a 70 pound beagle, I’m going to say something. Period.  And it’s going to be blunt.  It doesn’t matter how big or small the owner is because, honestly, I don’t care.  They can talk all they want about their weight with their own physicians.  Unless you’re covered in hair and walking around on all fours, your medical problems are completely out of my jurisdiction.

Once the problem is identified and accepted, then there’s a basic mathematical issue.  Being 5 lbs overweight may not seem like a big deal, but what if you’re only supposed to weigh 10 pounds (or 5 pounds!)?  Putting the numbers in perspective: if you have a cat whose ideal weight is 10 pounds, but she actually weighs 15 pounds …that’s like a human female being 60+ pounds overweight (if her ideal weight is 120).

So how do we shed the pounds?  Again, I will refer to a very simple equation.  You must burn more calories than you consume in order to lose weight.  If you even eat one more measly calorie than you burn off (via breathing, walking, exercising, etc.), you will never ever ever lose any weight.  Ever.  Of course this is easier said than done, especially considering that obese people/dogs/cats have a harder time feeling satisfied after a meal and have slower metabolisms.  Yes, it’s a slippery slope.

The saving grace with treating your obese pet is that you don’t need to deal with any will power issues.  Yes, you may feel issues of guilt for putting your little friend on a diet, but I can’t help you with that.  And yes, some dogs will begin some very destructive behaviors if they are hungry and “hunting” for food in your garbage cans and cupboards -but good training and judicious use of gates and crates will help with that.  But if you just follow the simple feeding guidelines that are given to you by your veterinarian (NOT the chart printed on the back of the food bag), I can practically guarantee success -and your pets will live longer, happier, healthier lives.