Pet Obesity: Simple Strategies for Controlling Your Pet’s Weight

Is your pet overweight or obese? According to a recent study published by the Association for Pet Obesity, an estimated 58.9% of cats and 53.9% of dogs in the United States are overweight.

Much like humans, animals are subject to many of the same short-term and long-term side-effects associated with being overweight, including general lethargy, increased risks of health problems, decreased emotional and cognitive function, increased anxiety, and more. Left unchecked, pet obesity can dramatically decrease your pet’s quality of life and certainly shorten your pet’s lifespan. Also like humans, our cats and dogs tend to overeat during the holidays. Or, to be more accurate, pet parents tend to overfeed their pets at this time, making pet obesity an even greater challenge in the fall and winter.

But don’t fret. The good news is that by being focused and intentional, and scheduling regular pet wellness checks, you can take action to help your dog or cat live a healthier, happier (and skinnier!) life.

Five Simple Strategies for Fighting Pet Obesity

Pet obesity can have multiple causes, but the most common causes are overeating and inactivity—both of which you can control with a little bit of creativity and patience. Here are five simple strategies we recommend to help you begin improving your pet’s quality of life and fighting pet obesity:

Strategy 1: Know what’s right for your pet.

The first step is knowing the goal. Each animal is different, and it’s important to know exactly what’s right for your particular pet. Consult one of our veterinarians on your next visit to determine your pet’s ideal weight, caloric intake, number of meals per day, etc. We can even recommend the right specialty diet to help you control your pet’s weight. Armed with this knowledge, you can confidently manage your pet’s wellbeing.

Strategy 2: Count those calories!

Let’s face it—it’s easy to dish up a full can of pet food or guesstimate how much food your pet needs throughout the day. Often, we do this because it’s convenient or because we’re uncertain about exactly how much food is too much or too little. But the best way to avoid overfeeding and—ultimately—obesity is to count the calories your pet consumes each day and make sure this count aligns with your pet’s ideal caloric intake.

This means carefully reading the labels to determine exactly how many calories are in your pet’s food and what constitutes a serving size. If the serving size is listed by weight, consider investing in a kitchen scale to more easily determine the amount of food to give your pet. You can find an inexpensive kitchen scale at your local home goods store.

Strategy 3: Avoid treats and snacking.

We all know how hard it can be to resist your pet’s begging eyes as your dog or cat watches you cook dinner for you and your family. But feeding your pet food that is not intended for them, or supplementing their diet with treats (which are often high in calories) throughout the day, is a sure way to overfeed. We recommend cutting back on feeding outside of normal meal times and making sure that all extras are high-quality treats made especially for animals.

Strategy 4: Encourage an active lifestyle.  

Activity is good for your pet, and it’s essential that you encourage your pet to live an active lifestyle. The simplest way is to give your pet focused time, care, and attention—whether that means a few extra minutes on your daily walk with the dog or spending time each evening after work playing with the cat. For owners with busy lifestyles, you can further supplement this daily attention with Doggie Daycare, with toys, or by introducing activity, exercise, and games into your pet’s meal times.

Strategy 5: Keep your pets curious.

Going hand-in-hand with encouraging an active lifestyle is giving your pet reasons to remain active, interested, and engaged. Look around your home (and yard for outside pets) for ways to keep them engaged and curious. For dogs, it might mean buying a few new toys. For cats, it might mean giving them their own elevated, cat-friendly space that encourages climbing, jumping, and exploration. Puzzle toys and puzzle feeders are especially good choices for pets, especially senior dogs and cats or pets who are home alone during the day.

There are so many different ways that you can encourage your pets to be active and engaged with life. With a little bit of patience and being aware of your pet’s needs, you will soon begin to find new and creative ways to improve your pet’s life and health. And of course, if you have any questions or are looking for ideas, we’re always here to help and offer insight!

Testimonials

Ambassador is an amazing animal hospital. They are caring, professional and leaders in animal medicine. Their entire staff is gifted, empathetic... read more

Mike P.

When I had to make the difficult decision to send my best friend of 8 years off, Dr. Alexander, Dr. Roseveare, and Dr. Alfieris were nothing but... read more

Emmalie W.

For the best care for your animals this is the place to go. The Vets here are very thorough with their exams. They are very open and informative... read more

Donna M.

This is a wonderful place to bring my pups. I have been happy with each visit. All the staff are very helpful and knowledgeable. On my third visit... read more

Teresa S.

Highly recommend this practice for your fur babies. It is extremely clean, the staff is very friendly, and the appointment for a wellness exam for my... read more

Tory N.

We had our first visit with our new dog and let me tell you it was an amazing experience from the moment we arrived. Great staff who worked so well... read more

CJ. C

My dog needed to be seen ASAP. The staff was most accommodating. He received the treatment he needed within a day. So grateful his doing... read more

Jessica L.

When we moved to Greenville we were concerned we wouldn't find a veterinary team as good as our previous one. The team at Ambassador definitely... read more

Vanessa E.

We've been taking our cats to Ambassador Animal Hospital since we moved to Greenville 2 years ago. The staff is beyond wonderful, always friendly... read more

Kristy T.

Mike P.

Ambassador is an amazing animal hospital. They are caring, professional and leaders in animal medicine. Their entire staff is gifted, empathetic and very positive. I would encourage any pet owner to call them first.

Emmalie W.

When I had to make the difficult decision to send my best friend of 8 years off, Dr. Alexander, Dr. Roseveare, and Dr. Alfieris were nothing but compassionate and helped me through one of the worst days of my life. They made the experience peaceful and I felt like Bo left with dignity. A compassionate veterinarian is a rarity these days and I am glad to know these 3 wonderful doctors do not lack love for their patients and clients.

Donna M.

For the best care for your animals this is the place to go. The Vets here are very thorough with their exams. They are very open and informative about your pets health care needs. The staff is always friendly, knowledgeable and very professional.

Teresa S.

This is a wonderful place to bring my pups. I have been happy with each visit. All the staff are very helpful and knowledgeable. On my third visit they greeted me by name. The doctors do not rush you and explain what is going on very well.

Tory N.

Highly recommend this practice for your fur babies. It is extremely clean, the staff is very friendly, and the appointment for a wellness exam for my two cats went so smoothly! I was in and out within an hour. Even with me arriving early I was taken back almost immediately. They really cater to the needs of their patients. My cats were both so nervous, my boy cat’s heart rate was really high. They quickly got my babies towels with Feliway to help calm them down. It was truly that little gesture that meant the most to me. I will continue to bring my cats here with peace of mind knowing that they will be very well taken care of.

CJ. C

We had our first visit with our new dog and let me tell you it was an amazing experience from the moment we arrived. Great staff who worked so well with our girl and so friendly! The Dr answered all of our questions and was very patient. We Couldn’t be happier with the outcome and now we have a great reliable place to go to for our new puppies medical needs!

Jessica L.

My dog needed to be seen ASAP. The staff was most accommodating. He received the treatment he needed within a day. So grateful his doing well!

Vanessa E.

When we moved to Greenville we were concerned we wouldn't find a veterinary team as good as our previous one. The team at Ambassador definitely resolved all of those concerns. Everyone there is kind, helpful, and clearly loves animals. Dr. Alexander and Dr. Aliferis are amazing and very knowledgeable, as are all of their technicians. The staff at the front desk are very efficient; they have us checked in pretty much as soon as we walk in the door because they remember us. I absolutely recommend this office for your pets.

Kristy T.

We've been taking our cats to Ambassador Animal Hospital since we moved to Greenville 2 years ago. The staff is beyond wonderful, always friendly and helpful, willing to squeeze us in when we have a sick pet. Both Dr. Alfieris and Dr. Alexander are amazing vets - caring, patient, and dedicated. They always follow up with us and check in on our pets after our visits. I can't recommend them enough, we wouldn't take our pets anywhere else!

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