Feel free to come into the clinic at any time to weigh your cat for free!! We want our patients to be as healthy as they can be to live long, happy lives. The best way to evaluate an animal's body condition is by looking and feeling, once a week if possible. There should be a chart in this package to aid you in determining your pet's body condition.
If left untreated, obesity can lead to:
Joint or locomotion problems:
Extra pounds put added stress on joints, bones, ligaments and muscles.
Heart and respiratory diseases:
Extra body tissue means their heart and lungs have to work harder to provide adequate oxygen and circulation. Extra fat in the chest cavity and around the heart muscle decrease the efficiency of the heart and lungs.
Diabetes:
Just like in people, diabetes is much more common in obese animals.
Liver Disease:
Liver function often declines as a result of too much fat getting into the liver. Obese cats sometimes stop eating due to a potentially fatal condition called hepatic lipidosis.
Heat intolerance:
The insulating properties of fat make obese animals more prone to develop heat stroke.
Skin Problems:
Rolls of skin built up by fat deposits often rub against each other and cause chronic skin infections. Obese cats cannot reach many parts of their body when grooming.
Gastrointestinal Disorders:
Obese animals have impaired function of their gastrointestinal tracts so are more likely to have constipation and flatulence. Pancreatitis, a disease that causes severe abdominal pain and vomiting, is much more common in obese dogs.
Exercise Tips
Many common toys, including flexible rods with attached feathers, or catnip stuffed toys, can help encourage activity. Try using the stairway or laser penlight to add excitement.
Feeding Instructions
When changing to a new diet, gradually introduce new diet by mixing it with the previous food over a 5-7 day period to reduce the risk of diarrhea occurring. You can feed the same amount of food or follow the food guides below for the new diet.
To increase water intake and add palatability add warm water to dry food ( ¼ cup water to 1 cup food).
Diet Foods for Cats
Medi-Cal Reducing- Reduced calories and fat with higher levels of protein. Added benefits of chromium which aids weight loss, Omega Fatty Acids, antioxidants and natural preservatives.
Hill's r/d- reduced calories, increased fibre so your pet feels full, carnitine helps fat metabolism and maintains muscle. Conflicts with increased fibre in cats- recommend to try Reducing formula first unless your cat has kidney problems.
Once sufficient weight has been lost you can switch to Weight Control diet for maintenance.
Medi-Cal Weight Control- reduced calories and fat with average protein and carbohydrate levels. With the added benefits of Omega Fatty Acids, antioxidants, chromium and natural preservatives.
Weighing
Start
Weigh your cat and record weight
Week 4
Weigh your cat and record weight
- if your cat lost weight then Congratulations and continue with what you are doing
- if your cat maintained or gained weight, then reduce feedings 10- 15%
Every 4-6 weeks thereafter
Weigh your cat and record weight- adjust according to weight loss