We can all be a little guilty of indulging more than we should over the festive break and when our precious pooches and puss-cats give us those ‘pleading eyes’, it’s hard to resist offering them some of their own tasty treats, too.
But as January marks National Obesity Awareness Week (10-16 January), PDSA Vet Nurse, Nina Downing, is sharing her top tips for checking if your four legged friend is the correct weight.
Nina said: “Whilst it can be hard to resist the gaze of your furry family member, it’s important to ensure we don’t overfeed our pets. Being a healthy weight and shape will not only improve your pet’s quality of life, it means they can enjoy walks and activity which will also improve their mental health as well as sometimes delay the onset of weight related diseases, helping them to live for longer.
“If your pets have had a treat-filled festive season, it’s important to recognise if they have gained some extra weight around the edges and to help them get back to better health.”
How to recognise if your pet is a healthy shape
Nina says that your pet’s body shape will give you an idea of whether they’re carrying too much weight, and you can find this out by doing a simple check at home, called a ‘body condition score’.
“Take a good look and feel of your cat or dog’s body,” she explains. “The following will help you tell if they are a healthy weight:
- Run your hands along your pet’s sides. The skin should move freely over the ribs, which you should be able to feel with a light touch.
- Run your hands along your pet’s back. You should be able to feel the spine and hipbones under the skin without being able to see them – they shouldn’t be sticking out.
- Gently feel the base of your pet’s tail, there shouldn’t be a build-up of fat where the tail joins the spine.
- Feel under your pet’s tummy, it should go in, not bulge out.
- Look at your pet from the side and from above. You should be able to see a waist. If not, your dog or cat may be overweight.
“Knowing your pet’s body condition score helps you to know if they need to lose some weight, put some on, or if they’re about right. It’s also important to know your pet’s current weight – as once you have that information, you can get a better idea of what their ideal weight should be.
“You can visit your vet and ask them if you can use their scales to weigh larger dogs, but small dogs and cats can be weighed at home quite easily using bathroom scales.
“Once you know the weight to aim for, make sure you weigh them regularly, you can quickly spot if their weight changes, and then tweak their diet and exercise to correct it. Making changes to their portion sizes, only feeding occasional healthy treats and increasing the opportunity for exercise each day will all help to keep your pets weight in check.
PDSA is working in partnership with Royal Canin to help tackle obesity in pets. Throughout February and March 2024, they are encouraging pet owners to have their pets weighed, and their body condition scored at participating vets to help guide them to a healthy weight. Keep an eye on the PDSA website for details.
Nina added: “It can feel like a big challenge to get a pet to lose weight, but trust us, it’s worth it and isn’t that difficult (I promise!). Once your pet has reached their ideal size and shape, they will be healthier, happier and more active. They will also have the best chance of living a long, healthy life. If you are struggling with your pet’s weight, contact your vet for help and advice.”
PDSA is the UK’s largest vet charity providing a vital service for pets across the UK whose owners struggle to afford treatment costs for their sick and injured pets. For many vulnerable pets, PDSA is there to help when there is nowhere else for their owners to turn.
Find out more at pdsa.org.uk/weighup
