OBESITY AND WEIGHT ISSUES IN DOGS (the fat
dog!)
One overweight dog with
a happy outcome - read more |
"Why
are 40 percent of dogs in the U.S. overweight or obese?
The answer is simple: Too much food and too little exercise,"
said Claudia A. Kirk,
DVM, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Nutrition,
College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee.
"Canine
obesity is a growing problem. Studies suggest it affects
40-50 per cent of all dogs,"
said Jo Spear of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists
in Animal Therapy.
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So how can you tell if
your dog is overweight?
Many owners are surprised (or
even offended!)when they are told that their dog is overweight,
fat or obese. Yet the facts are clear, there are a lot of
fat dogs out there who stand the risk of developing health
problems, and it makes sense to give your own dog a quick
health check!
The easiest way to tell whether
your dog is in ideal body condition is by feeling the ribcage.
The ribs should be easily and clearly felt with little flesh
between the fingers when you pinch the skin.
Have a look at the picture of
Whizzy above - you can see that she has a nicely defined waistline,
another pointer towards good body condition.
Although many breeders like to
see a good covering of fat on breeds such as labrador retrievers,
it is now accepted by leading experts in the field that a
lean dog is not only healthier than a fat dog, but tends to
live a longer active life than one which is overweight (n.b
A 14 year trial by a major US dog food company).
There's no ideal weight chart
for all dogs, but as a general rule of thumb, the following
is offered as a guide to good body condition:
- Too Thin:
The dog's ribs are highly visible.
- Ideal Body Condition:
You can feel and see outline of ribs. The dog has a waist
when viewed from above. It's belly is tucked up when viewed
from the side.
- Too Heavy:
You cannot see a waist when viewed from above. Belly is
rounded when viewed from the side.
Obesity is an accumulation of
excess fat in the body as a result of an energy (calorie)
intake which exceeds requirements.
Obesity tends to occur in the pet which is
less active physically whereas the active pet will tend to
discharge the excess.
Obesity is associated with shortened lifespan, diabetes,
disease of the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, rheumatism and
arthritis. The overweight pet cannot tolerate warm weather,
is less able to exercise and will generally have less fun
than a lean, healthy pet.
Specialist or Veterinary diets for weight
control are usually high in fibre (cellulose which is indigestible
plant material) to reduce the digestibility of the food. These
foods are an expensive way of producing lots of faeces.
Burns High Oats Recipe, which is low in fat
and protein, can be helpful as a dietetic food. Oats have
a higher fibre than rice which means that the higher fibre
level is due to the food ingredients themselves rather than
an 'additive'.
Vegetables (cooked and raw) can safely
be included to help fill the dog if you think that is needed.
It is important to check the weight regularly to ensure that
the weight reduction programme is on course. It is better
to lose weight slowly than rapidly - 1/2 lb per week for a
small dog up to 2 lb a week for a large dog.
Another common problem that the
Burns' nutritionists face is one of unintentional overfeeding.
To lose weight, it is important to feed according to the target
weight, not the current weight of your dog. Ask your veterinarian
for a sensible target weight, or contact the Burns' helpline
for more information.
Exercise, of course is good for
both you AND your dog - read
more!
If your dog is overweight
it could be that you are not getting enough exercise!
Super Slimmer Sioned!
We heard recently from a customer of ours,
Mr Edgar of Alfreton about his labrador and how successfully
she'd slimmed down with the help of Burns High Oats.
| "I
thought that you might be interested in the history
of my little dog named “Sioned”. In the
spring of 2006 she developed a severe limp in the front
right leg. I consulted the Vet he suggested that she
had a defect in the shoulder and gave her an injection;
he then said that it was possible that she would require
an injection every month for the rest of her life.
"At this time the nurse weighed
her and we discovered that she was 32.5kg.; her ideal
weight should have been 25kg. I asked the Vet if I could
consult a chiropractor for a second opinion, he agreed
saying that some manipulation of the joints might help.
"The Vet started her on a Diet
food ...she did loose a small amount of weight but the
chiropractor said she needed to attend a Hydrotherapy
pool to strengthen her legs.
"I took her to Adams Canine Hydrotherapy
at Darley Abbey, Sandra the proprietor advised me to
telephone the Burns Nutrition helpline to seek help
with her diet, I spoke to a member of your staff and
explained the problem... she told me that we should
be aiming for the target weight whereas the Vets were
aiming at the existing weight, this would explain why
she has got to 29.5kg and come to a standstill.
"I would take her to swimming twice
a week and we noticed a marked improvement but it was
not until March of this year that she lost the limp;
the swimming coupled with Burns food gave her a new
lease of life.
"Now that she is a slim 24.5kg
she is like a coiled spring she would run all day if
I let her, Now John Burns should develop a food that
I could take to enable me to keep up with her!" |
|
 A
super fit Sioned in May 2007!
Burns High Oats can be used very successfully
as part of a general weight reduction programme including
exercise. For further information contact our Nutritional
Advisors via the Helpline or call Free (UK only) on 0800 083
66 96
For more information check out the Burns
Feeding Programme or contact our nutritional
helpline.
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