Help Your Dog Slim Down

May 3, 2006 — -- America's weight control crisis is now affecting our pets.

About 50 percent of all pets are overweight, according to Marty Becker, a veterinarian who has written a book called "Fitness Unleashed" to help both pet and owner lose weight together and keep it off.

Corpulent canines aren't cute. They are unhealthy and in danger of an early trip to pet purgatory, Becker said.

"If you keep your pets thin, studies show they'll live 15 percent longer -- that's about two extra years on the average," Becker said. "I'm not exaggerating when I say that pets almost never come to the veterinarian's office too thin."

Reasons

Here are some reasons why pets get so fat, according to Becker:

They eat the wrong food. There's only one type of food your pet should eat, and your veterinarian can help you figure that out based on your pet's breed, age, lifestyle and health risks. Vets probably will change what a pet eats five times during its life as it ages. It is impossible for consumers to weed through the tantalizing ads and competing claims to make sound choices for their pets.

They eat too much food. Pet owners underestimate how much their pets are eating, especially as it relates to how many calories they're burning. A lap dog lying in a lap doesn't need a lot of calories -- but a lap dog training for a marathon with its owner does. Sometimes, pets eat more than the owners know. Dogs can raid a cat's bowl, and all kinds of pets may get treats on the sly.

They eat too many treats. Nobody wants to stop giving their pet treats. But limit the treats to 10 percent of the pet's daily caloric intake. Try to substitute healthy treats like baby carrots, which are sweet and crunchy but have no empty calories. Also, offer "emotional Milk Bones" in which you tell your pet how great it is along with a smaller portion of treats.

How to Tell Whether Your Dog Is Overweight

Here are some signs your pet is overweight, according to Becker:

Your pet has breathing problems and pants a lot.

Your pet has difficulty jumping and climbing stairs, often from secondary joint problems.

Even with these clues, most people are in denial that their pet is overweight. Becker pointed to a body-scoring assessment you can do at home, or ask your vet to do. Here's where to look to see whether your pet is too fat:

Ribs check: You should be able to easily feel your pet's ribs. They shouldn't be covered with a layer of fat.

Profile check: When your pet is standing and you're viewing it from the side, you should see a tucked abdomen, not a body that looks like a cylinder.

Overhead check: When your pet is standing and you're viewing it from above, you should see an hourglass shape with a clearly defined waist.

Tail check: You should be able to feel the base of the tail very easily.

Downsizing Your Dog

Becker offered tips to downsize your pet:

It's safe for a dog to lose 1 percent of its body weight per week. That's three to four ounces for a 20-pound dog. If your dog is obese and needs to lose 20 percent or more of its body weight, it will take 18 months to get it down to a normal weight.

Feed your pet "weight-reducing" food. To get rid of the extra weight, feed the food your doctor recommends -- which may be a special weight-reducing food like prescription diet R/D or W/D.

Don't feed "free choice" -- which means there is food available all the time and your pet eats whenever it wants. Instead, take the amount of food your doctor recommends and divide it up into two or three meals.

Limit snacks and access to other food -- just like in a human diet.

Start a walking program. If your overweight pet is really out of shape, don't push it too hard. Start with one block (300 yards) per 10 pounds of body weight, twice a day. Early morning or evening walks are best -- avoid scorching sidewalks, high heat and humidity.

A good leash for fat pets is a Gentle Leader Easy Walk Harness because it discourages dogs from pulling on the leash while walking by redirecting pressure across the chest and shoulder blades, instead of the tracheal area. Unlike traditional leashes, the harness reduces coughing, gagging and choking when your dog attempts to pull forward.