Fighting the fat...

Is a fat pet a happy pet?

The winter months often result in a long period of inactivity and as a result many of our pets gain weight during this period. Keeping our pets fit and healthy is very important. Just like in humans, obesity in animals is known to cause or worsen many conditions, the most common being arthritis, diabetes and heart disease. Overweight animals are also more likely to suffer from cruciate disease and even respiratory problems.

Did you know that 1 in 4 Cats and Dogs are overweight?
 

Obesity in our pets can cause many problems including;

• Heart problems
• Kidney problems
• Arthritis
• Diabetes
• Liver problems
• Lethargy
• Skin problems
• Poor mobility... and more

However, successful weight loss takes careful planning, which is where Weight Loss Clinics come in:

Case Study: “Nelly”

Nelly came to the vets in April 2007 weighing 41.1 kilogrammes which was very overweight for a Staffordshire bull terrier cross! Her owners had res-cued her from a kennels in 2005 where she had been treated for very bad skin problems. For the skin problems she had been given steroids. Her owners were unaware that one of the side effects of steroids can lead to weight gain.

As Nelly was so overweight she did not like walking for more than a few minutes at a time, and was too heavy to jump into the boot of the car.
Our weight clinic nurses decided it was time to try and help Nelly’s owner get the weight off her. First they established what Nelly’s diet consisted of and learned about her exercise regime.

They advised her owner that the Royal Canin Satiety Diet would be suitable in Nelly’s case. Along with the owner they designed a manageable exercise pro-gramme and arranged regular check ups and weigh-ins so the owner could accurately monitor progress and had lots of support and encouragement.
17 months later, Nelly had lost a massive 15.89 kilogrammes! Her owner now says that she has more energy and quotes “she now can jump into the car on her own” and he’s even had to buy her a new collar to fit. She also now goes across Cannock chase for walks twice daily for an hour each time!
 

We’re here to help

We understand it can be very difficult to control a pet’s weight. That’s why we run nurse clinics specifically to help with this problem. They can give specialist advice on the many different diets available, especially if your pet has other medical conditions. They will arrange regular weigh-ins so you can monitor your pet’s progress and decide whether your pet would benefit from using the slimming drug Slentrol which suppresses appetite and stops fat from being absorbed.

At our weight clinics we will assess each animal individually and together we will work with you on your pet’s original diet or place them onto a specialised diet to help them lose those extra pounds! As we all know weight loss is always helped with regular exercise, so we will also set up an exercise plan that will suit your pet and your lifestyle. If you have any questions feel free to chat to either Cassie or Lucy, our weight clinic nurses.

Subsequent appointments normally last for 10 minutes, with a weigh-in followed by a chat to see how you are getting on with your pet’s food and exercise programme. To help you really see the difference the programme is making to your pet, ‘before and after’ photos are taken and displayed in the clinic.