Take obese of advice for 2018
SHEDDING the pounds may top many people’s New Year’s resolutions, but animal lovers also need to look out for their pets.
After feasting on festive scraps, our furry friends’ waistlines can expand just as much as ours, and they may need to go on diets too.
It does not have to be difficult for them to lose weight. This year’s winner of the PDSA’s Pet Fit Club – Alfie the beagle from Middlesbrough – lost 34 per cent of his body weight in just six months and is now a healthy 19.7kg.
Here PDSA vet nurse Katy Orton gives the lowdown on podgy pets. WHAT IMPACT CAN OBESITY HAVE ON OUR PETS?
It can put them at risk of diseases like arthritis, heart disease, diabetes and cancer and can reduce their life expectancy. Obese pets also find it hard to exercise or enjoy walks and games. HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR PET NEEDS TO GO ON A NEW YEAR’S DIET?
The first indicator is if you can no longer feel their ribs or see their waistline from above. More extreme signs are OUR vet Brian Faulkner, from Petplan, has 16 years of experience and is a freelance working all over the country. Send your questions to Brian at: Petplan, Great West House, Great West Road, Brentford, Middlesex, TW8 9DX or via Petplan’s Facebook page facebook.com/ PetplanUK. fleshy rolls at tail bases and under chins. Your vet can also show you how to give your pet a body condition score. WHAT ABOUT SMALLER PETS?
They can get fat if they don’t get adequate exercise or are fed sugary treats.
Rabbits are particularly at risk when fed a muesli-style diet because they pick out the more sugary bits. Switching to a pelleted food can reduce this risk. HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT AND HOW MUCH TO FEED YOUR PET?
As a general rule, you should follow pack instructions but remember to feed your pet for the weight it should be, rather than the weight it is. Animals should also be fed according to their life stage. Vets can advise on this. WHAT ABOUT TREATS?
Rewards don’t have to be food-based. Praise your pets, take them for extra walks or give more time with toys. DOES YOUR OVERWEIGHT PET HAVE TO GO ON A STRICT DIET?
Your vet will advise on this and create an individual diet and exercise plan. If a pet is very obese, its exercise will need to be built up gradually.
If your pet is losing weight they could take part in the PDSA’s national pet slimming competition 2018 at www.pdsa. org.uk/petfitclub. WHAT is the least traumatic way to cut my rabbits’ nails – they both get very distressed and hate being held?