Lights and shadows behind weight control

The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention concludes that 59.5% of cats and 55.8% of dogs in the US are overweight or obese. Likewise, the University of Munich has found that more than half of all dogs and cats in Germany are overweight. The university even organizes special pet obesity consultations to support owners in achieving the ideal weight for their four-legged friends. Meanwhile, the UK charity PDSA reported that 78% of veterinary professionals say they have seen an increase in pet obesity in recent years. Obesity is now one of the top 5 welfare concerns among British pet owners.

Risk of smaller feed rations

As in humans, the first thing owners of overweight pets look at, is how they could improve their pet’s diet. The idea of simply feeding less may seem plausible at first, but a closer look reveals significant problems.

Of course, a smaller feed ration leads to a lower calorie intake, but it also results in a lower supply of protein, vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients.

Example: an overweight cat

Let’s take an overweight cat of 6 kg as an example. The animal has a daily protein requirement of ~24 g and the average wet food contains 10% crude protein. The feeding recommendation says to feed 240 g per day for medium-active cats (4% of the cat’s body weight). This results in a protein intake of 24 g.

If the owner decides to help the cat lose weight by feeding it only two-thirds of the daily ration (160 g), the protein intake would be reduced to 16 g. This would result in a too low intake of protein and thus also of essential amino acids (along with many other nutrients). Cutting the ration so drastically can be fatal for cats since too rapid weight loss can result in life-threatening hepatic lipidosis. The recommended weight loss guideline for cats is 0.5-2% of their total body weight per week. For dogs, it is 1-2%.

Calorie requirement

Instead of reducing the feed ration, it makes more sense to determine the pet’s calorie requirements in order to find a diet that provides all the required nutrients without exceeding the intended number of calories. So how can this be calculated?

The pet’s calorie requirement is based not only on the ideal weight, but also on other factors such as activity level, age, neuter status and individual metabolism. Therefore, ideally, a veterinarian specializing in nutrition should be consulted to advise on how to reduce the calorie content gradually, in line with the severity of the situation. At the same time, the veterinarian has the opportunity to examine the pet for underlying diseases, hormonal imbalances or pre-existing effects of the excess weight, to take account of them in the weight loss strategy.

Weight control diets are usually based on a high- protein, nutrient-rich and low-carb formula with a reasonable fat content to ensure sufficient intake of essential fatty acids. For dogs and cats, carbohydrates (including sugar) are just a source of energy and therefore not essential. In contrast, an increased crude fiber content can help to induce a feeling of satiety. However, too much fiber can also result in a reduced nutrient intake, which is why amounts have to be balanced carefully.

Increasing the amount of exercise

Apart from the dietary approach and the check for underlying diseases, slowly increasing the pet’s exercise level is crucial for healthy and long-term weight loss.

Meanwhile, as in humans, it is important to avoid subjecting an overweight body to too much physical stress. Great ways to carefully introduce more activity for dogs include dummy search games or swimming lessons, while throwing food kibbles stimulates a cat’s hunting instincts. It is best to use part of the pet’s daily ration of dietary food as treats and rewards.