Pet obesity: What it means more than half of dogs and cats are overweight
Body condition scores are more reliable than scales.
Epidemiological surveys show that the proportion of overweight pet dogs and cats in developed countries is between 50 and 60 percent. Being overweight is directly linked to the risk of diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, breathing difficulties and anesthesia, and shortens life expectancy by about two years on average.
The judgment method is body condition score: feel the ribs, look at the waistline, and look at the abdominal line. A score of four to five on a nine-point scale is ideal, with scores above six considered overweight and above eight considered obese.
The core of a weight loss program is precise measurement. The error when scooping out grains using a measuring cup can reach 30%, so a kitchen scale is the most accurate tool. The goal is to lose one to two percent of your body weight each week. Losing weight too quickly can lead to complications such as fatty liver disease.
Exercise should be done gradually. The cat teasing stick should be used for a total of fifteen to twenty minutes a day for cats, and the dog should be used for a combination of walking and sniffing. At the same time, reduce the calories of snacks, and control the total amount of snacks within 10% of the daily calories.
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