Resolutions are for the Dogs -- and Cats
By Dr. Jevon D. Clark, D.V.M, Flathead Living, Winter 2011-12, Volume 4, Issue 4

I resolve to lose a little around the middle this year again.  Holiday, little sun, and cold weather tend to make all of us "blossom" in the winter.  But sorry, blaming the season is foolish.  This is an "us" problem.  Nutritionally unbalanced diets, too many treats, and far too little exercise all conspire to fatten up Garfield and Snoopy (and me!).  Pets no longer work for a living.  The don't spend their days searching for tonight's dinner.  Food arrives in a bowl or worse, come straight from our hands.  As a result, 45% of dogs and 58% of cats are overweight.

"So who cares if 'fluffy' is a little plump?  Well, as a veterinarian, I do.  The increased risks of diabetes, arthritis, and shortened life spans secondary to obesity have been well-documented in dogs and cats for years.  Pets that are the appropriate weight are much healthier throughout their life and they live significantly longer than overweight pets.

It is painfully simple for our pets to lose weight as it is for us.  In order to lose weight the energy used by the body must exceed the energy put into the body; decrease the calories and increase the exercise.  Sound familiar?

One of our favorite sayings in my practice is "Food is not love."  I'll let you in on a little secret.  There is an easy and inexpensive trick that everyone can do that will positively impact your pet's weight.  Don't feed your pet human food.  That's it, period.  Our food is incredibly calorie-dense.  One hot dog to a 20-pound dog is equivalent to a person consuming three entire hamburgers or two whole chocolate bars.  More shocking, one ounce of cheese to a 10-pound cat is equivalent to 3 1/2 hamburgers for a person!  Holy Creme Brule, Batman.  So, think twice next time before giving in to Fido with the one little bite of fillet.

Show me an overweight pet and I'll show you a person who doesn't get enough exercise.  It's no surpirse that your pets want to spend more time with you.  If you are sitting, they'll sit on you.  But, if you are active, they will be, too.  Nothing burns calories faster than spending 30 minutes walking your dog on a cold winter day. 

All right, so walking a cat is not really practical, but you can at least play with him in the house for 30 minutes.  Your pets will absolutely love the attention and you'll feel better, too.

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