It is often difficult to form an objective opinion on the matter. By rubbing shoulders with your animal every day, you do not necessarily see it grow, especially since overweight often sets in very gradually. To be sure, it is best to weigh it. “For a cat or a small dog, you can take it with you on the scale and then deduct its own weight to get that of the animal. For a larger animal, most veterinarians have a weighing pan in their waiting room which can be accessed without necessarily consulting,” explains Valérie Dramard, behavioral veterinarian.
. Then it remains to refer to the weight indications relating to its breed (or to animals of comparable size): they are easily found on the internet or displayed at veterinarians.
Another way to get an opinion on your weight, less precise than weighing, but nevertheless, very revealing: observation. “When you look at a dog or a cat in profile, its belly should not fit into a rectangle: if you draw a line that starts from below the thorax (at the level of the ribs), it must go up then towards the hind legs, and not be straight. And if you look at it from above, there must be a tightening between the thorax and the pelvis” describes the veterinarian. By palpating it at the level of the belly, one feels quite easily a possible layer of fat.
2 Why is it too big?
It’s all about the balance between “inputs” and “outputs”! “An animal gains weight when the energy it consumes (its metabolic expenditure) is less than the energy it absorbs (what it eats). This could mean he’s not moving enough for what he’s swallowing. But he can also suffer from a metabolism that works in slow motion, in particular because of a hormonal imbalance. Or have a water retention problem due to a pathology (eg hypothyroidism). Early castration, before one year, also increases the risk of weight gain in the six months following the intervention, due to the hormonal upheaval it induces”, says Valérie Dramard.
3 What are the risks?
A dog or a cat that has excess pounds is not well in his body or in his head! He’s tired, out of breath, depressed, doesn’t want to move… which further aggravates his weight gain. “His organs – liver, heart – work less well because they are surrounded by fat. His joints also suffer a lot because of the overload: they undergo microtraumas and chronic inflammation which make the bed of osteoarthritis. In the most extreme cases of obesity, especially in cats, they can no longer groom properly as their movements are hampered. Abscesses and wounds in the skin and anal glands can then develop,” she warns. Being overweight is not a medical emergency that threatens the animal’s life in the very short term. But it is likely to lead to a deterioration of his long-term health.
4 How to make him lose weight?
At first, it is a question of intervening in parallel on two axes: on the one hand, to reduce the caloric intake by reducing the quantity of food and on the other hand, to increase the physical activity of your dog or your cat. playing with him, making him run, jump, etc. “It is important to proceed gently so as to give the metabolism time to adapt, without creating a rupture. Otherwise, we create stress and we prepare the conditions for a rebound effect and a rapid recovery of the lost weight”, underlines Valérie Dramard.
You can start by reducing the amount of kibble by 10%. A tip: add a little water to make them swell and thus have a satiating effect, or mix them with green beans or zucchini. “It is also important to choose croquettes rich in fiber and low in fat, so to take the time to compare the nutritional information on the packets”, encourages the professional. It can also be an opportunity to switch to a homemade diet, in order to control exactly the composition of the meals, if necessary after a consultation with a veterinarian-nutritionist. Give yourself a month or two to see if this program gives the first results. Beyond that, do not hesitate to consult your veterinarian because it is very likely that your animal has a metabolic problem requiring special treatment.
2023-09-02 21:56:13
#cat #fat #lose #weight
