However, realistically, it is unlikely that a complete
no-treat policy will succeed with every person in
the house. In these situations, try to choose a daily
allowance of healthier alternatives, put this amount
in a bowl, and when they’ve gone, they’ve gone!
Small amounts of vegetables can work well for
dogs, although cats can be pickier, and an
alternative may be to keep back some of the pet’s
normal food as the treat.
Secondly, get to know the correct amount of food
your pet should be eating each day, as the real key
to weight reduction is often reducing these portions.
The amount of food required is often provided on the
information labels on the food containers, and some
companies provide charts on their web sites.
Although age and activity levels are important
factors to include in any calculation, it is usually
necessary to reduce the daily food portion by about
15-20%. If you are in any doubt about this, you
should contact the surgery for advice.
Many animals can be managed on their own ‘usual’
food, but for the severely overweight, a special diet
food may be a better option. Once again we can
advise which option will be the best one for you.
Remember never to give in to begging! If your
overweight pet cries for more food, hold firm. If you
give in, it will be all the more difficult next time.
Get your pet exercising
Exercise is as important for pets as it is for people
in the post-Christmas period.
Whilst many cats will exercise themselves, you can
increase their calorie loss by playing with them. This
can also improve the bond with your pet.
Dogs can be exercised by getting them back to their
usual walks. However, remember to increase their
exercise gradually. Don’t be tempted to overdo it,
as any dog (young or old) that has been
under-exercised can suffer if allowed to do too
much too soon. We would advocate 10-15 minutes
of activity several times a day.
How long will it take to see
results?
As with people, aim for gradual weight loss, and
expect significant improvement to take several
months. The ideal would be a loss of 1% to 2% of
the initial weight per week.
Once you’ve achieved success, maintain the weight
loss by sticking to what has worked for you, and
hopefully you will develop some healthier weight
management habits for the rest of the year, i.e.
avoiding between-meal treats, taking regular
exercise, and controlling food portions.
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