As the holiday’s approach, it is always important to watch what your pet is eating. During the holidays you might feel the need to give your loved ones some more treats and table scraps but make sure that this is not negatively affecting your pet’s weight. It is crucial to pay attention to your pet’s weight as they get older.
But, how do you know if your pet needs to lose weight? For smaller dogs and cats, a few pounds could mean the difference between healthy and unhealthy, and sometimes those extra few pounds might be harder to spot for well-meaning pet owners who love their pets through “thick and thin.”
Think your pet might be overweight? Here are three signs:
- Your pet has an oval shape, rather than an hourglass shape. Get a “bird’s-eye view” by standing above your pet and looking down at her. Your dog or cat should have somewhat of an hourglass shape, with a taper at the waist, which is between the abdomen and the hips. If there is little or no taper, your pet is probably overweight.
- You can’t feel your pet’s ribs. Put your hands on the side of your pet’s chest. If you can’t feel his ribs, he probably needs to lose weight. Ideally, you should be able to feel his ribs, but not see them. If you can see them, your dog or cat could be underweight.
- Extra fat around the abdomen, hips, and neck. Have you noticed a bit of a fat roll on the back side of your pup’s neck? That’s a sign that she’s carrying too much weight. Once an animal has extra fat around the abdomen, hips, and neck, it probably falls into the “obese” category and will be at higher risk of developing many health issues, including diabetes, arthritis, cancer, and more.
If you are still unsure about your pet’s weight book an appointment and we can go over it together!