To continue with this weight loss journey: how can we know if our pets are actually overweight? Take a look at the picture below and it might help you to get a better understanding. When we are talking about weight here at the clinic it’s more often that we speak about the ideal Body Condition Score (BCS), rather than weight in numbers. With so many different breeds of dogs and cats it’s quite normal to have a wide range when it comes to their weight. We have to consider their age, size, breed, activities and health when picking the ideal weight. To find out if your dog or cat is overweight you can easily run your hands along his or hers sides and you should easily feel the ribs. When you look at your pet from above there should be a marked waist and from the side you should also see a nice abdominal tuck. It’s always a good starting point to weigh your pet. If you know you own weight first just stand on your scales and pick up your pet and stand together. You can then subtract your weight and you will be left with your pet’s weight. If you have a large breed dog you can come down to the clinic and we will help you out. So, if we now have confirmed that your beloved pet is overweight what’s next? The first thing to recommend is to take your pet to the vet to discuss your concerns and also to rule out any other medical conditions that could interfere with the new lifestyle. And yes, this is a change of lifestyle not just a quick crash diet only to put all the weight back on again! I’ll be back soon with some more info about the 2 most important things: diet and exercise! / Anna, RVN
Posted on: Mon, 20 Jan 2014 08:11:44 +0000
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