New Year Pet Resolutions
Is your pet on the porky side?
After the indulgence of Christmas, you may be considering shedding a few pounds in the New Year. PDSA is asking owners to consider if their pets might also benefit from a bit of a lifestyle makeover.
Around four out of every ten UK cats and dogs are thought to be overweight or obese, which can lead to some serious health problems including heart disease, arthritis, diabetes and some cancers. Too many calories and not enough exercise are the key culprits, but the good news is that owners are usually in control of these factors. So there are some simple changes you can make to improve your pet’s health and happiness.
The first thing to do is to find out whether your pet is a healthy body shape. PDSA’s website has a handy guide with helpful pictures on how to check dogs, cats and rabbits (www.pdsa.org.uk/healthypets). As a general rule, you should be able to feel their ribs and spine if you run your hands down the top and the side of your pet’s body gently. If you have to press down to feel them, they are probably overweight. With a healthy body shape, you should be able to see an ‘hourglass figure’ from above as your pet’s shape should tuck in at the waist. If they are very fluffy you can smooth down their hair to see if they have this shape underneath. Your vet or vet nurse can also show you how to do this. This assessment of a pet’s shape is called Body Condition Scoring and is a really helpful tool to help you figure out if your pet is the right weight.
Remember that it’s important to take your pet for a check-up before starting them on a diet. Your vet can check for any underlying health issues that could be causing fluctuations in weight. Pets also shouldn’t lose weight too quickly. Over-restricting calories can be particularly dangerous for cats and rabbits, and a vet or vet nurse can advise a target weight and weekly weight loss targets that won’t harm your pet, as well as an appropriate exercise regime.
If after a consultation the vet or vet nurse does advise that your pet needs to lose weight, they will be able to give you plenty of information on how to succeed.
Here are a few tips from PDSA vets and vet nurses to help beat the bulge:
- Cut out the treats – even a small treat can significantly increase a pet’s calorie intake. So don’t give in to their ‘puppy dog eyes’ – find different ways to reward them, such as play or grooming sessions.
- Increase exercise – it’s tempting to cut down on walks in bad weather, but it’s important to ensure you and your pets stay active all year round. Dogs need at least one walk a day including time off the lead when safe, although it’s often better to do more frequent walks rather than just one long one. The extra exercise might even help you towards your health goals too! Cats can be encouraged to play hunting-style games using fishing rod-type toys.
- Weigh out food – it’s surprising how easy it is to overfeed pets when you judge amounts ‘by eye’ or use scoops. Follow the feeding guidelines on the packaging if your pet is a healthy weight or check with your vet if they’re overweight and weigh out the exact amount you need using a set of scales. Split this into two or more meals a day, depending on your pet’s preference and needs.
PDSA is the UK’s leading vet charity. We’re on a mission to improve pet wellbeing through prevention, education and treatment. Support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery helps us reach even more pet owners with vital advice and information. www.pdsa.org.uk
Your yellow cat looks much like my ‘make my day’ Clint Eastwood Cat In my post, Animal Adventures!
What are you looking at, ‘Punk!’
Haha! Yes he does look like that.
A fit and healthy kitty is a happier kitty 🙂
Indeed!
Cute. But, get the insulin? ready & feel bad 4 his neuropathy pain.
Get his cardiac meds ready as… https://t.co/ogelRKDdTB
Thank you 🙂
AAAAWWWW belly kisses!?❤️
Thanks 😀
We hope you have a wonderful New Year – full with love, peace, and happiness.
Thanks so much ^^
We hope you have a wonderful New Year – full with love, peace, and happiness. Thank you for providing such wonderful content!
We should send our humans to some PDSA vets, MOL ! Purrs
? haha same applies to us sadly.
I got Spike a long tunnel for Christmas now being 11 and never had a tunnel before I was abit wary Spike loves it he runs round it and through it and im happy I can give him exercise and play at the same time.x????
I thought there would be weight reduction message here. 🙂
? haha yeah
eeeeew i love the big cats they so cute!! please have a look at my page 🙂
~the blog bee xx
🙂 will do