NUTRITION SMARTS FOR PET OWNERS
A healthy diet for cats and dogs.
COUNTRY VET
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The truth about cats' and dogs' foods.
By Andrew Martin, DVM
Like their owners, pets depend on a balanced diet for
their general health and well-being. But these days-with
store shelves brimming with dog and cat foods specially
formulated for every size, shape, and age, figuring out
what's best for your pet can be daunting. To help you sort
out what's healthful and what's hype, MOTHER turned for
advice to small animal veterinarian and emergency-clinic
owner Dr. Andrew Martin.
MOTHER:What is the
most common nutrition-related problem that you encounter in
your practice?
Dr. Andrew Martin: Obesity. Most
household pets are, like most Americans, overweight. And the
things that contribute to added weight in people are usually
responsible for the same problem in their pets: snacking and
insufficient activity. Very rarely do we see a pet with a
gland problem causing increased weight.
MOTHER:Is there a good way to judge if
a pet is overweight?
A.M.: In every household
pet, we should be able to easily feel the rib cage-not just
know that there are ribs there. In deep-chested breeds of
dogs, such as greyhounds, German shepherds, and setters, we
should also be able to see the individual ribs. In cats, the
main site of fat accumulation is the underbelly, which should
never get to the point where it sways as the cat walks. In
either case, the flatter the back of the animal gets, the
closer to true obesity the pet is approaching.
MOTHER:What health
risks are associated with obesity in pets?
A.M.: The major health risks attributable to
excess weight in pets are the same as those seen in people:
heart disease and arthritis. The leading causes of death in
larger dogs are heart failure and euthanasia due to arthritic
pain. In overweight cats, there is also a very severe liver
disease that is quite common and often fatal.
MOTHER.:What's the best way to keep a
pet from becoming obese?
A.M.: When
attempting to control or decrease the weight of your pet,
there is a lot to be gained from adjusting not only the type
of food it gets but also the amount. Diets that are marketed
for specific age or activity-level groups are generally
produced with either differences in vitamin and mineral
content designed to meet growth needs of young animals, or
altered caloric content designed to meet activity-level needs
of adult animals. If you cannot feel your dogs ribs, you need
to feed fewer calories-either by changing to a lower calorie
food or by feeding less in volume. And, of course, increased
activity can only help, if you have the resolve to do it.
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