Overweight and obesity in dogs and cats

Sometimes we need to lose weight put on because of feasting at the table and it might happen that also our pet is not “fit.” When we look at Fido or Pussy and think “it is a bit overweight, but he is always hungry … how can I refuse to feed it, when it asks me with those demanding eyes …”.

Cause

So, without realizing it, we contribute to the overweight of our 4-legged friend until he becomes overweight. After hours snacks, administration of food at will, leftovers from the table, reduced body exercise are among the key factors promoting excess weight in the pet, along with the overweight predisposition of certain breeds and the sterilization.

Overweight and obesity are not just a cosmetic issue

Obesity is not just an aesthetics matter but primarily a clinical issue with generalized adverse effects on the body, among which we can mention: reduced fatigue resistance, chronic stress on joints with increased risk of oosteoarthritis, reduction of life expectation. In addition, the overweight condition predisposes to degenerative senile pathologies, as hormonal imbalances (including diabetes), reduced efficiency of the immune system, liver diseases, urinary problems, respiratory and cardiac disorders. Also during surgery an obese subject is exposed to a higher anesthetic risk, while during the hot season there could be problems of thermostatic temperature control due to a reduced heat loss.

What can we do?

To help your 4-legged friend to lose weight safely, you should entrust your veterinarian’s nutritional advices and promote its calorie consumption thanks to slow but long walks several times a day. It might also be useful to divide the daily ration in more meals to promote satiety sensation for longer time, reducing the ongoing search for food.

The veterinarian will prescribe a customized diet to your pet, with proportionate amount of fats, proteins, dietary fibers and vitamins, such as carnitine known as fat-burning substance. Reducing the daily ration is not enough because it could cause nutritional deficiencies. It is very important to rely on diets specifically designed to reduce obesity.

Gheda Petfood is constantly interested in the wellness of pets and therefore has studied effective nutritional profiles to countervail body weight excess, as the food for your dog ADULT MAINTENANCE by Unica Gemma and as the food for your cat ADULT STERILIZED LIGHTNESS by Unica Classe.