January

New Year – Slim down for summer

The first question is: – Is your pet overweight?

  1. If your pet’s ribs cannot be felt easily when you are running the flat of your hand over your pet’s sides then – YES
  2. If you pet has lost its waist then – YES
  3. If you have had to loosen your pet’s collar in the last year then probably  – YES
  4. If you have noticed any of the following then your pet maybe overweight and it may be contributing to other conditions;
    1. Difficulty walking
    2. Slow movement
    3. Shortness of breath
    4. Bad temper
    5. Sleeping more than usual

What causes weight gain?

On the whole it’s simple – there are too many calories going in and not enough being burnt off. Just because a treat is small it does not mean that it isn’t packed with calories ( eg a chocolate truffle or a measure of scotch for us).

There are a couple of medical conditions that can cause weight gain and need specific treatment, but sadly for the majority of overweight animals it is just excessive calories that are the problem. It is very easy for the calories to mount up  – as it is for all of us, and if your animal is nearer the golden years of life they are often less active and therefore need less calories.

If your pet is overweight we are here to help with our Free of Charge weight clinics.

We want your pet to be as healthy as possible and as soon as they start to lose weight you can can quickly start to see your pet become more active and happier.

Although neutering does slow your pets metabolism it is not an excuse for obesity.

Did you know?

  • 1 Oat Cookie for a 10kg dog = 1 Hamburger and a chocolate bar to us.
  • 25g/1oz of Cheese for a 5kg cat = 3½ Hamburgers to us.
  • 1 crisp for a 5kg cat = ½ a hamburger.
  • 1 hot dog sausage for a 10kg dog = 3  hamburgers to us.

None of these things have the balanced nutritional value of a complete diet and in most cases can actually bring harm to your cat or dog due to the high salt levels.

None of these things have the balanced nutritional value of a complete dog or cat food and will actually leavethem feeling more hungry and less full.

Remember if you have any concerns about your pet’s weight then please do not hesitate to contact us and we will arrange one of our free weight clinics for you.