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Don't measure how much love you give your Cairn by how many treats he gets

Body weight chart

Tips for weight-loss success and an easy-to-use progress chart

Obesity is the accumulation of excess body fat to the degree that it affects the pet's health and lifespan.

A dog is generally considered obese if it weighs over 15% of its ideal body weight
Over 25% of dogs and 12% of cats are estimated to be obese.
Obesity is a disease and is one of the most difficult diseases to treat
With the help of your veterinarian, however, this disease can be treated and controlled

Health Risks

Joint disease - Extra weight places additional stress on the joints
Fatigue - Carrying additional weight requires extra effort
Cardiac disease - The heart is forced to pump blood through an increased amount of tissue resulting in hypertension
Difficult breathing - Increased tissue oxygenation requires increased workload of the lungs
Stomach and intestinal problems - Obese dogs often exhibit constipation and excess gas due to decreased GI tract function
Increased anesthetic and surgical risk - Lung, heart, and liver function are decreased. In addition, a larger than normal dose of anesthetic may be required due to uptake of anesthetic agent by fatty tissue. Wounds heal slower in obese patients
Liver disease - Increased fat level in the liver decreases its functioning ability
Reproductive disorders - Decreased fertility and difficult births
Tumors - Incidence of cancer in obese patients is much higher compared to normal, healthy pets
Others - Increased risk of skin disease, infections, and diabetes mellitus has been associated with obesity

Causes

Excess calorie intake and/or lack of exercise. In simple terms, calorie intake exceeds calorie requirement. This accounts for approximately 95% of obesity
Hormonal conditions
Genetic predisposition
Low basal metabolism

Signs

Excess layer of subcutaneous fat
Bulging abdomen
Fatty deposits over hips and base of tail

As a rule of thumb, you should be able to run your fingers along your pet's ribcage and feel the ribs, but not see them. When looking down at your pet, you should notice an hourglass shape with an indentation behind the ribs at the waistline. No fatty deposits should be evident over the tail-head, hips, or shoulder region. Please reference our body weight chart.

Diagnosis

Since obesity can be caused by a number of conditions, a thorough exam should be performed by your veterinarian

Complete physical examination
Blood chemistry profiles

Treatment

Effective therapy should be based on appropriate medical intervention and/or established goals for weight reduction. Do not look for dramatic improvements in just a week or two. Weight gain is a gradual process and so is weight loss. After your pet reaches its optimal weight, monitor its body weight on a weekly or biweekly basis. We've provided some tips for success and an easy-to-use progress chart in PDF format.