Posted June 16, 2009
The old saying that pets tend to look like their owners has never been truer. It’s not the eyes, or the hair that gives it away.
It’s the belly.
Human diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease are on the rise in pets, primarily because pets are living the same unhealthy life style as their owners. A fatty diet of chicken fried steak with fries on the side, along with too much couch time is taking their toll.
When it comes to living the good life, a pet owner can love a pet too much, it seems. A little less love in the form of fatty treats and a lot more love in walks around the neighborhood might be in order.
“If we’re eating it and it tastes good, we want to treat them the same way,” said John Falgout, a Beaumont veterinarian.
While our intentions might be good, the results are not.
“Obesity is the No. 1 problem we see in pets. There are more overweight pets now than ever. Obesity can cause everything from diabetes to heart disease to joint disease. And recent studies have shown that obesity shortens not only the quality of life but length of life,” Falgout said.
Beaumont Veterinarian Todd Westin said he sees fat pets “every day.”
“Internal body fat can cause respiratory problems and even a collapsed trachea (windpipe). Being overweight for a big dog is basically a death sentence,” Westin said. “And you should see the faces of the people when I tell them that. They’re shocked, because their intentions are good.”
Susie Henley couldn’t be a more attentive, loving parent. The 45-year-old Silsbee mother of two 20-something boys calls Bindy, her 6-year-old Rottweiler, “the daughter I never had.”
Henley started Bindy on regular pet food as a puppy, but after reading about the additives in dog food, decided to give her a healthier diet. She cooked chicken breast, turkey and beef liver for Bindy.
And then there were the treats.
“I would spend $60 a month in treats. I kid you not. She got what she wanted,” Henley said. “Any time we sat down and she gave me those big pretty eyes, I gave her a treat. She would sit by the pantry door and look at me. It was hard to tell her no, just like with a kid.”
Henley noticed that Bindy was gaining weight with every vet visit, but didn’t think much of it. In Bindy’s defense, she comes from a long line of big dogs.
“When we picked her up from the breeder in Colmesneil, we pulled up at dusk. He had an eight-foot chain link fence and in the shadows, I could see horses galloping in the pasture. I asked, ‘Are those your horses?’ He said, ‘No, those are my dogs.’ When they jumped on the fence, their front paws were hanging over the top. They were big dogs.”
Bindy’s dad weighed 160 pounds and her mother, 140.
During her last visit to the vet’s office, Bindy stepped on the scales. Henley was shocked to see the scale flash the number 166.
“Dr. Westin had been telling me for a while she was overweight,” Henley said of her pet. “I had been telling myself, well, her parents are big.”
Westin, who was out of town at the time of Bindy’s weigh-in, called Henley two days later.
“He chewed me out like a red-headed stepchild,” Henley laughed. “He said, ‘That dog is way too young to die.'”
“I love her so much. I didn’t realize I was loving her to death. It took him to wake me up. I told him, ‘You’re making me cry.’ He said, ‘I’m telling you this because I love her, too.'”
Westin put Bindy on a special food from Purina for overweight dogs. She lost 24 pounds in two months.
“She had joint ailments and allergies and slept all the time. I thought she was just staying close to me,” Henley said. “I’ve had seven back surgeries and she won’t let me out of her sight. But it was because she couldn’t function with that weight.”
Now, Bindy moves better, feels better and is more energetic, Henley said.
“I am happy, she’s happy, her daddy is happy — everybody is happy,” Henley said. “The thought that I could have lost her scared me to death.”
How to tell if your dog is overweight:
Place both hands on either side of its chest. With gentle pressure, run your hands down the side of the chest. If you can’t feel ribs, it’s a good indication the dog is overweight.
Another test:
Stand over the pet and look down. You should see a waist at the back of the rib where the abdomen begins. If there is no waist or indention and the line goes straight back, the pet likely is overweight.
Medical reasons such as thyroid conditions do exist for obesity in pets, says veterinarian Todd Westin, but they are few. The biggest reasons are overfeeding or improperly feeding.
-That cheap pet food you buy might be high in fat. Not all are; check the content. “Cheap doesn’t mean bad,” Westin says. “Talk with your vet about your food choice.” Westin recommends Purina OM for overweight dogs.
– No table food, unless your vet tells you to. Period. And watch those treats; they add up.
– Read the back of the bag to see how much is recommended for your dog. Then look at the cup you use for measuring. “A cup is not a Sonic 32-ounce cup,” Westin says.
– Get your pet up off its fat butt and into the yard. Go for a brisk walk. Toss a tennis ball. Over and over and over. And yes, exercising a cat is a little harder, but it can be done. Be inventive.
June 11, 2009
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