We humans aren’t the only ones who need to watch our waistlines. Maintaining a healthy weight is essential for a long and fulfilling life for our pets, too. But they don’t have control over their weight; we, the pet owners, do, and we often overfeed our four-legged friends.
In an interview for
petmd.com, Dr. Jim Dobies, a veterinarian in Charlotte, North Carolina, said
one of the simplest ways to gauge a pet’s weight is to stand above it and look
down. Both cats and dogs should taper in between their abdomen and their hip
socket.
“You should be able
to feel their ribs but not see them. If you can see them, they are too skinny,”
Dr. Dobies said. “If you can’t see their ribs, and place your hands on the side
of their chest and still can’t, they’re overweight.”
Pet owners can also
use body condition score charts from sources such as www.mypetsdoctor.com.
These score images of a dog or cat at different weights according to how
healthy they are and provide a visual guide to measure your own pet against.
Feeding our pets the correct amount is critical to warding off issues that
arise from obesity, such as congestive heart failure, some types of cancer, and
musculoskeletal problems.
Start by consulting
your pet food packaging, which typically provides a recommended serving based
on an animal’s size. Pay careful attention to the wording and whether the
serving amount is per meal or a daily total to be divided into meals. Two meals
are recommended for most adult dogs, while more frequent feedings are suggested
for puppies. For cats, petmd.com recommends between 24 and 35 calories per day
per pound.
