Pet Obesity
Ahh, the holidays..a time when families and friends get together to celebrate and indulge in delicious seasonal treats.
Many pet owners include their furry children in the holiday celebration of eating because food is usually the center of any type of special occasion. Just like people, pets tend to gain weight between Thanksgiving and the New Year. Many pet owners want to reward their pets with treats, but ultimately, all of the “rewarding” treats can cause several health problems for your pet down the road. Such health problems include diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis and cancer.
There is a huge misconception that healthy dogs and cats need to eat every meal, every single day.
If your pet is eating high quality meals and drinking plenty of water, your pet will eat when he/she wants to and will feel far better than being forced to eat according to your schedule. If your pet is overweight, he/she is most likely eating more calories than needed and not getting sufficient exercise. Please make sure your overweight pet(s) are examined by a a veterinarian to check for heart, thyroid, or other metabolic discorders. More information on pet obesity can be found through watching this video.
According to Dr. Ward, the founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, “each pound of weight on a dog is equivalent to 5 to 7 pounds on a person. Each pound gained on a cat equls 7 to 10 pounds. ” To read more about Dr. Ward’s research on pet obesity, click here.
Is your dog overweight? See if he/she falls into one of these categories:
1. The Nibbler
2. The Beggar
3. The Good Dog
4. The Gourmet Dog
To find out if your dog fits into one of these four categories, click here.
Let’s not forget our feline friends.
Putting a cat on a reducing diet should never be done without the close supervision of a veterinarian. Cats are prone to developing a condition called Hepatic Lipidosis if their caloric intake is suddenly reduced. There is plenty of information on obesity in cats at The Pet Center.
As a professional pet sitter, it has been my experience that pets’ eating habits are often reflective of their owners’ eating habits. Not always the case, but quite often 
As we turn into the holiday season and move into a new year, please keep your pet’s health in mind as well as your own. While we may think obese cats and dogs look cute and cuddly, remember how you feel when you eat junk food. Do we think we’re cute and cuddly if we’re overweight? For many, it is most likely quite the opposite. When you feel like giving your pet a reward, instead of offering a treat each and every single time, find other options, such as a walk, play time, praise, a massage, etc. If you rewarded yourself for every accomplishment with a candy bar or a bag of chips, you probably would lack energy, have less patience, and lack motivation. The same goes for our pets. They rely on you to make healthy choices for them!
To help you help your pets live healthy, here you will find important information on how to prevent and help pet obesity.
Tags: Beggar, Caloric Intake, Calories, Calories Needed, Cancer, Diabetes, Dogs And Cats, Dogs Cats, Dr Ward, Feline Friends, Furry Children, Health Problems, Healthy Dogs, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Holiday Celebration, Holidays, Lipidosis, Misconception, New Year, Nibbler, Obesity Prevention, Osteoarthritis, Pet Center, Pet Owners, Pets, Profes, Professional Pet Sitter, Quality Food, Quality Meals, Reducing Diet, Single Day, Special Occasion, Thanksgiving, Thyroid, Veterinarian
