The Whole Pet
News and Tips from Beverly Animal Natural Health Center
Greetings everyone! Hopefully everyone has been able to navigate the new website to get what they need. I still have lots of updates to do so keep checking it out to see what is new!
Just like in our human population, our pets are becoming more and more obese these days! I am not shy about weight issues as many of you know first hand. No sugar coating there! The reason why is that I care about your pet’s health and obesity is NOT linked to anything that enhances quality or quantity of life. Obese dogs and cats are clearly more at risk for respiratory disease, heart disease, osteoarthritis as well as diabetes and other life threatening conditions.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love food but I know that too much of anything is not good. In order to have a healthy life style, food should be viewed as fuel for life. Good fuel is food that tastes good AND gets the job done. It is just not filling up on whatever is cheapest to get from point A to point B. It is so important to have good fuel to enjoy the ride and NOT make it a final destination!!
Most commercial foods are marketed with a few concepts in mind. One is smaller stool volume. That typically means that the volume of the food to be ingested to meet caloric needs is quite small! Translated to unsatisfied eaters! It takes time for the brain to get the message that food has been ingested. If you can get 500 calories in ¼ cup, that message is not going to reach the brain until long after the last morsel has been consumed. Commercial foods also may have food enhancers that are empty calories. Empty calories mean calories that are added to enhance flavor or make production less costly. A comparison is high fructose corn syrup found in so many human foods. This is quite a controversial subject in human nutrition now but I am confident that the truth will prevail!
So, with this information, what can you do for your pet?
Don’t make a huge deal out of eating. Although we are familiar with the food=love idea, food is NOT love, it is fuel. So we need to eat it in the right quantities and with the emphasis that it is not a huge event every day. Yes, we all may look forward to eating but it is something like brushing our teeth everyday. Needs to get done but may only be super special when we get a new toothbrush, prepping for a dentist appointment.
Eat twice daily
Pets and humans that eat more often typically have more active metabolism. Think of the dieter you know that says he/she only eats one time per day…and they are not loosing weight. Once an animal is about 6 months old, limit the food intake to two meals per day from the three meals per day during the first 6 months of growth.
Fruits and vegetables
Other than raisins, grapes and onions, avocados(only in large volume) fruits and vegetables can safely be ingested by pets that do not have any food hypersensitivities. It is best to introduce them slowly to your pet’s diet so there are no indigestion issues. For example, may cats like asparagus. Dogs often love apples as well as summer squash or zucchini. You may give these items raw or cooked. Skip the butter and sauce!
Exercise
As with any fuel, you need to burn it to get the benefits. Please exercise your pet with a walk or run at least a few times a week. Toss a ball to your cat or dog when it is cold and rainy out. Be active! Some pets, like people definitely need more exercise to activate the metabolism.
Consults
Please give us a call if you have questions about your pet’s weight and diet. We do NOT typically recommend a specific diet but encourage you to read labels. The food ingredient list should be easy to read and have whole foods vs. by products or long chemical names.
One simple test you can do to evaluate your pet’s weight is the rib test. With your pet standing, touch the sides of the chest. You should be able to feel the ribs without putting pressure on the chest. If you have to apply a lot of pressure, you are most likely feeling layers of fat!
I also often compare pet’s weigh to people’s weight by just adding a zero. This helps demonstrate how 2 pounds in a Yorkie is like 20 pounds for a person….noticeable!
For example, the Yorkie weighed 6 # at it’s 3 yr old physical exam. Now, at age 4, it is 8#. One might think, great…only 2# weight gain in a year. But look at it as a 60# child gaining 20# in a year. If it was a cat weighing in at 12# one year and then gains only 2# as well, that would be compatible to a person gaining 20# .
Check out www.stopcanineobesity.com for a few more healthy tips. For cats, refer back to my articles library on the website and read “Some thoughts on fat”.
I was recently invited to meet with Dr Deborah Kochevar, the Dean at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton. It was great to go back to my alma mater and get the personal attention! It was a meeting with a few other alumni to showcase all that Tufts has to offer, not only to veterinarians but the community as a whole. They have programs for students of all ages to be introduced to veterinary medicine as well as the annual open house. Check out www.tufts.edu/vet/
Hookworms!
Hookworms are in the rise! These are intestinal parasites that we routinely test for in our dogs and cats. There is a significant number of positive test results as well as our dog patients being clinically affected by these worms. Signs include diarrhea and vomiting as well as anemia, a low red blood cell count. In people, they can cause intestinal signs as well as skin lesions as the larvae penetrate the skin! To decrease risk of this, have a fecal sample checked at least yearly as well as when there is abnormal stool. Have your dog on Interceptor monthly. If you have an outdoor cat, also deworm routinely with Profender. Wash your hands before eating/after playing with your pets and do NOT encourage your pets to lick!
Be Aware:
This link was recently sent out by the FDA regarding counterfeit flea and tick products. Please be aware that the drug companies that we work with only sell to veterinarians in order to make sure there is a valid client-doctor relationship. At BANHC, this means that we have seen you and your pet within the last year and document any concerns or issues with any existing medical conditions. We are also there is you have questions or concerns regarding medications and supplements. Here is the link:
http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/factsheets/petproduct.htm