Is your pet over weight

[Catherine]

Pet obesity is an epidemic in modern society and a serious health problem. Many cats end up diabetic just because of excess weight. Dogs and cats suffer joint problems and heart issues. Lets face it fat pets don't live as long and they do not have the best quality of life while they are alive.

It is worth asking the question:
http://www.mnn.com/family/pets/stories/w...uckle-test

Bringing a pet's weight down by sensible eating and increased exercise could also apply to us as pet owners. We could get healthy together with our pets. Everybody wins.

[Tobi]

It's a good idea to highlight this and the article gives some helpful tips. Yes it's a sad fact that pet obesity is on the rise, just parallel to human obesity in the Western World.
Many cats in the US are kept totally indoors, and in a small apartment they often don't get enough opportunity to exercise properly. And these cats may be fed much more than they actually need, to balance their lack of exercise.

Dogs can easily fall into the 'couch potato' trap, if that's what their humans are! And I think a lot of it has to do with humans working all hours of the day, coming home exhausted, and sometimes a quick 'potty trip' twice a day is all the dog gets in the way of exercise. Sometimes they are walked only until they do their business, and then brought back!

And even though our dogs have become 'pets' they still have their wild heritage in their genetic make up. Some breeds (especially toy breeds)don't need as much exercise as others, for sure. But somewhere in every dog is the genetic Wolf heritage. A rule of thumb guideline is the more 'original' or 'wolf-like' its features and characteristics are -the closer those wolf genes.
Wolves' daily mileage can cover 25 miles minimum. Usually more.
If someone has a dog they know can walk all day, yet it is confined to two short 'potty breaks'....then there is something going wrong.

And dogs are geared to eat like predators, not grazers.

In the wild a dog or wolf would be inclined to eat once a day -if it was lucky. Sometimes a day or two would go past without food, and when food was found, they would eat as much as they could hold.
But we have bent that a bit. (Dogs are so glad about that! LOL)
So two meals a day is usually enough for a dog. Breakfast and dinner.
Some dog foods are terrible nutritionally, as well. Lots of carbs, corn, fillers, etc high on the ingredients list.

[Catherine]

Quote:Dogs can easily fall into the 'couch potato' trap, if that's what their humans are! And I think a lot of it has to do with humans working all hours of the day, coming home exhausted, and sometimes a quick 'potty trip' twice a day is all the dog gets in the way of exercise. Sometimes they are walked only until they do their business, and then brought back!

Sometimes that is all the exercise the owners get as well.
Every study out there is saying that it is bad for us as well.
We need to fix our pets lives if we are going to fix our own. You are right, their obesity matches our own. Really active people are out there with their pets getting exercise. Couch potatoes have couch potatoes as pets.

We need to eat better, so human food needs to be improved. We also need pet food to be improved. Part of the problem is lack of exercise and too much food. Also part of the problem is the food itself. Pet food is too high calorie, too high in fat and there is probably too much sugar/starch. There are good quality foods out there now, but many people spend as little time considering their pet's food as they do their own food.

If you really read the packaging of some human or pet foods, you wouldn't buy them.

If we fix our problems we will fix our pet's problems and if we fix our pets problem we will fix our own.

A wolf-like dog must go stir crazy for lack of exercise.

[Tobi]

Some years ago I wrote a silly little comedy 'skit' about a Jack Russell who never got enough exercise, and the tricks he used to play to ensure he did. I'll see if I can find it...

You are so right. Many humans don't get much exercise either. I walk to see the cat down my lane, twice a day. Neighbours congratulate me as if I were going on an Everest expedition! They make me smile. It's only quarter of a mile away! Altogether that is only walking one measly mile.

It seems that on average, peoples' concepts of basic physical living have deteriorated over the years. Though many pay for Gym membership, they have forgotten that to simply walk a trail somewhere for 5 miles will be free and do them more good. And many are imposing that on their pets.

[Catherine]

I commend your dedication that you have cared for the cat twice a day for so long. But I was thinking in terms of the commitment involved.
It sounds like a nice walk and it would be so good for you. Even though it is cold I walk when I can. I skip the bus and walk a few stops to a clients house. The air is fresh, the sun is shinning. I feel better when I do it.

Quote:It seems that on average, peoples' concepts of basic physical living have deteriorated over the years. Though many pay for Gym membership, they have forgotten that to simply walk a trail somewhere for 5 miles will be free and do them more good. And many are imposing that on their pets.

The trouble is, people have it in mind that exercise requires a gym. That makes it a hassle. They have to go to the gym and change into gym clothes and spend at least an hour and then they have to go home and by then it is getting late. They buy the gym membership, but they stop going very soon. They could walk part of the way home from work instead. It is exercise and it is free and when they are done they are already home. It makes sense.

People going to the gym will drive there and then drive around forever looking for a parking spot near the door because they think it is too far to walk across the parking lot.

I get lots of exercise working in my garden. It is pleasant and refreshing and I have a beautiful garden as a result. A doctor once told me it was only exercise if it was done on a machine like a treadmill. How very like a hamster wheel they are. You can walk for an hour and go no where and see nothing and have none of the joys of a nice walk.

Add a dog to the walk and it becomes an adventure.
Maybe trying to help their dogs to health with good walks and good food will inspire people to help themselves to health as well.

First we have to get them to understand that their pet is fat and that is not a good thing.

[LeonilCraig]

Veterinarians report that although nearly 50% of all the dogs they see are overweight, only 17% of pet owners agree. Great source!

[Catherine]

Quote:Veterinarians report that although nearly 50% of all the dogs they see are overweight, only 17% of pet owners agree. Great source!

This is the heart of the problem. People do not recognize obesity and when they do, they do not realize how serious a problem it is.

I wonder how many of the people who do not recognize their pet's obesity are also obese themselves.

The biggest health threat now is the effects of being overweight.