Obesity

Obesity is common among adult dogs and increases the risk of medical problems. One survey found more than 20 percent of animals were too heavy.

“There is no question that a lean dog is healthier and lives longer,” says Edmund Dorosz, DVM. “The primary reason for this widespread problem is too many calories and not enough activity.”

Of course, genetic makeup also exerts a large role. Some pets are simply going to lose and maintain their weight better than others, and laid-back animals may gain more readily than supercharged dogs. Disorders of the adrenal and thyroid glands, as well as over-medication with steroids, may be associated with weight gain.

Obesity in animals, just as in people, “is a frightening disease, because, in addition to causing serious discomfort and body dysfunction, it exacerbates and contributes to other diseases,” says Susan Wynn, DVM, of Marietta, Georgia. Obesity-related problems include the following:

Obesity is a serious medical and nutritional problem. See your veterinarian, who can help you develop an appropriately individual program to improve the quality of your pet’s life.

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR DOG IS TOO HEAVY

FOOD AND SPECIAL DIETS

Three Recipes for Heavyweights—Edmund Dorosz, DVM

If your dog has no medical problem, such as congestive heart failure, hypothyroidism, or diabetes, which may be the cause of the excess weight, there are a few effective measures you can follow to promote loss of fat while conserving lean muscle tissue. First, be sure to provide a diet supplying high-quality protein and fat (see chapter 7). Always feed the best quality, which contains maximum nutrition. This way animals get quality without needing quantity. They eat less.

Feed less—up to 30 percent less—and more often. Small, more frequent portions often can be very effective.

A periodic fast helps lose weight.

Don’t feed table scraps high in fat.

Don’t give snacks between meals. Give love and attention instead.

Increase exercise and play to avoid boredom. Exercise burns calories.

The following recipes are excellent for weight loss:

LOW-FAT, HIGH-FIBER DIET

This recipe provides balanced proteins, vitamins, and minerals. It is low in calories and high in fiber to give a feeling of fullness.

Directions: Cook beef. Drain fat. Mix with other ingredients. Sprinkle with garlic. Feeds a thirty-to-forty-pound dog for one day.

BEEF TONGUE

This is a tasty low-calorie, high-fiber reducing diet.

Directions: Mix first six ingredients in a blender. Simmer for 1 hour. Mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water and add slowly to tongue mixture. Stir and cook until thickened. Add parsley. Cool. Feeds a thirty-to-forty-pound dog for two days.

MEAT LOAF

Directions: Put all ingredients except cheese into large bowl. Mix well. Place into a loaf pan 9 × 5 × 3 inches (23 × 12 × 7 centimeters). Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 1 hour. Spread cheese over meat and return to oven to melt. Cool. Serves thirty-to-forty-pound dog for four days.

Three More “Losers”—Paul McCutcheon, DVM

These three reducing diets have been used successfully by my clients for years. Each yields a daily ration for a twenty-five-pound dog.

Directions: Mix ingredients together and serve slightly warm. Add daily supplements. Yield: 2 3/4 cups.

Directions: Cook beef in skillet, stirring until lightly browned. Pour off fat and cool. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Keep covered in refrigerator. When feeding, add daily supplements.

Directions: Mix ingredients together. To this mixture, add the following:

First week: 1/4 pound leanest ground beef, browned, with the water and fat removed.

Second week: 1/4 pound white-meat chicken.

Third week: 1/4 pound white-meat turkey.

Store mixture in a tightly sealed container in refrigerator. Heat slightly before serving. Add supplements when serving.

The Green Bean Diet—Mark Haverkos, DVM

A simple weight-loss strategy for dogs has worked quite well for my overweight patients. Just add canned green beans to the regular food. A medium-size dog takes a half can a day, a large dog a whole can. Whatever the amount of green beans you feed, reduce the volume of the regular ration by the same amount.

I learned about green beans eight years ago from a client. I had mentioned to her that I was seeing a lot of fat dogs.

“Feed ’em green beans,” she said.

I laughed when she said it. But she was serious and said it really worked. The next time I saw an overweight dog I told the owner about the green beans. He said he would try it. Two months later he brought the animal back and I was amazed to see a slim dog.

Since then I’ve put hundreds of overweight dogs on the green bean diet, and well over half of them lose weight. It takes about two to six weeks before you start to notice a change. Many of these heavy dogs really need to lose pounds because of bad hips. This simple approach has helped many animals unable to lose weight on restricted diets.

I don’t know why it works, but it works. Most animals have no problem eating the beans. Some, in fact, like the taste so much that they wait for the can of beans to come out. Cooked, frozen beans don’t seem to be as effective.

After seeing their dogs slim down, people are curious and want to know if the beans will do the same for them. I don’t know the answer. Most people won’t stick to a green bean diet long enough to find out.

The One-Day Fast—Nancy Scanlan, DVM

In the wild, dogs naturally fast about one out of seven or ten days. If you find your dog doing that on its own, that’s quite okay. Many people worry when their dog stops eating for a day. They may change the diet or put gravy on the food to entice the dog. No need for it. You might want to consider fasting your dog for a day every week or ten days as a simple way of addressing an obesity problem. It is in tune with the animal’s own nature.

If an animal doesn’t eat for more than twenty-four hours, that’s the time to become concerned. See a veterinarian. By no eating, I mean no food, not just a decrease. Dogs will decrease the amount of food they eat when the weather is too hot.

MIXED AND MISCELLANEOUS APPROACHES

The Second Dog Solution—Michele Yasson, DVM

Contemporary pets often lead solitary and sedentary lives cooped up in small apartments with owners away working much of the day. For many such animals, weight gain is a natural result of this unnatural existence. For those fat dogs stuck inside, try the second dog solution—get them a playmate. Dogs are pack animals, and there usually isn’t a problem.

A second animal will stimulate activity and movement and is often curative for obesity. This approach works as well for animals who are depressed and don’t eat well. A little competition at the dinner plate stimulates interest in food.

A variation on this theme is day care for pets. If you have a friend with a dog and both animals are alone during the day, arrange to have the animals spend time together during the work week. I have many New York City clients who do this. They find other people in their buildings, or nearby, with single animals. They arrange day care “matches” that bring play partners together, thus providing for some calorie-burning social opportunities for the animals.

The Spay and Neuter Connection—Roger DeHaan, DVM

If you have an animal fixed, be sure to allow it to rest and recover properly after the operation. Don’t fix an animal immediately after you obtain it from the shelter. Let it first become adjusted to its new surroundings. Don’t have it vaccinated at the same time. You want to separate and stretch out such stressful events. Too much stress can overwhelm the immune and endocrine (hormonal) systems, and you may wind up with a sick and/or fat animal. Weight gain is often related to a hormonal imbalance, particularly the pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal glands.

Cut back on food if necessary, and be sure your animal gets exercise! Animals love order and purpose in their lives. Purpose is especially important to working breeds, and if you park them in an apartment all day, their purpose goes to pot. They need daily exercise. Twice a day for ten or fifteen minutes at a time is better than twice a week for an hour. Throw sticks. Stroll with them around the corner. But do it regularly. Consistency is important for their weight, their psychological well-being, and their overall physical health. It’s great for bonding and healing.

I have found it particularly useful to supplement animals with kelp before and after fixing. Kelp contains iodine and other important minerals that give nutritional support to the thyroid gland. When the thyroid becomes overly stressed, metabolism suffers and weight gain is a frequent result.

DOSAGE