By Divya Singaravelu
Does your corgi’s belly hang so low that you can’t see its already short legs? Does your pug huff and puff when it tries to climb stairs? Has your cat stopped jumping onto your sofa because it’s too fat to get off the floor?
“Obesity is on the rise” in pets, says Jennifer Tsung, a veterinarian at Inwood Animal Clinic. The five-year-old clinic sees five to 15 animals a day and a large number of the cases concern obesity.
“If pets are very obese, it can affect their longevity,” says Tsung, adding that obesity can lead to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, kidney disease and ACL injury — the over-stretching or tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee due to excess weight.
Gluttony is the primary cause, Tsung says. “It’s just like with people, you need to control what you eat.”
“I’ll tell you something – when the owner’s fat, the pet’s fat,” says John Petterson, 62, an Inwood fire safety director who has owned seven dogs so far, mostly German shepherds and mixed breeds.
According to the 2012 National Pet Obesity Survey, conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, veterinarians find 52.5 percent of dogs and 58.3 percent of cats overweight or obese. That means more than 36 million dogs and 43 million cats are at risk for weight-related disorders.
Pet obesity has become the number one health threat for U.S. pets, according to Ernie Ward, the association’s founder and lead veterinarian for the survey.
Ryan Pearlman, a veterinary assistant at the Inwood Animal Clinic, uses a chart to educate customers about pet obesity. The chart shows that for small breeds such as the Boston terrier, whose average weight is 15 pounds, carrying three extra pounds is akin to a 150-pound human being 30 pounds overweight.“Yorkies and shih tzus, especially small breeds, are more sensitive to obesity,” Pearlman says. “For human beings, one half pounds overweight is nothing, but for pets, that’s very significant.” Most pet owners overfeed their animals, he says, and don’t know the right food or portions to give them.
Cody Westgaard with Zero. (Photo by Divya Singaravelu)
“He’s constantly looking at the bowl so I feed him more than recommended,” says Cody Westgaard, who works at NYU’s Tisch School of Arts, referring to Zero, a 2-year-old pit bull-Labrador mix. But Westgaard also ensures that Zero exercises to burn those extra calories, walking him at least four times a day, each walk averaging 30 minutes.
Pearlman advises that as pets become adults, they need controlled diets. He says, “Most people continue to feed their adult pets the same amount as they did when they were puppies or kittens and they can’t burn the calories off.” Most pets stop growing after a year and are then classified as adults, while those over 7 are classified as seniors.
While obesity is mainly exercise and diet related, Pearlman does not rule out medical conditions such as hypothyroidism, resulting from an underactive thyroid gland, and hyperthyroidism, involving an overactive thyroid.
“Hypothyroidism is more common in dogs and it causes weight gain,” he says. “Hyperthyroidism is more common in cats and it causes weight loss.” Either may require medications.
Dogs and cats are equally at risk for obesity. But Pearlman says that cat owners need to be more mindful that their kitties need to run around or go out for walks, just like dogs. “Cats need stimulation because they are home all day,” he says,.
Prevention is better than cure when it comes to treating pet obesity. Pearlman says that it is very difficult for pets to lose weight. “They get more hungry when their portion size is reduced and they beg for more food,” he says.
Nick Jacob with Frankie. (Photo by Divya Singaravelu)
“I let him have his way, I spoil him,” says Nick Jacob, 46, an author and owner of a 5-year-old Yorkie, Frankie.
“I feed him two main meals a days but he always has food in his bowl,” says Jacob, who adds that Frankie has good metabolism and has not had any weight problems. He prefers the spacious Inwood parks for exercising Frankie.
Tsung, who owns a dog and two cats, says that pets should not be fed more than twice daily if they are obese. She also encourages owners to exercise their pets at least twice a day. Finding the perfect food for your pets can be a challenge; she endorses low calorie canned foods.
Diet pet foods on display at Pet Ark. (Photo by Divya Singaravelu)
There are many diet dry and wet foods on the market. But David Gracia, 34, who works at Inwood’s Pet Ark store, says that only three to four of the 20 people who purchase pet food from the store each day buy diet brands.
“It will take about three to five weeks on the diet for dogs to lose weight and two to three weeks for cats,” Gracia says. He advises owners to choose “grain free” and “reduced calorie formula” options for pet food wherever possible.
Jose Hermosel, manager of Popcorn Paws, a boutique pet store that sells holistic cat and dog food, says that people must pay more attention to what they feed their pets. Many commercial brands are made from animal by-products. “Most people don’t know that by-products include head and feet of chicken that is not good for pets, as they are high in fat and low in protein,” he says.
Robin Gold with Pete. (Photo by Divya Singaravelu)
Hermosel agrees that health foods for pets can be expensive. But money is no object for many pet owners such as Inwood resident Robin Gold, 54, who used to feed her pitbull-mix dog, Pete, high-end kibble.
“I make sure I feed him the right amount of calories,” she says, adding that she always checks the label for recommended portion size. Pete, who’s 13, was recently diagnosed with kidney disease and has diet restrictions that cause Gold to resort to cooking special meals for him.
“Pete loves my sweet potatoes, cabbages, tomatoes, chicken, rice and veggies,” she says.
Westgaard said that Zero’s vet once tried to sell him a prescription diet that would cost $67 for a 15-pound bag. He read the blog www.dogfoodadvisor.com, which helps people make informed decisions about buying dog food. The blog recommended Hills, a prescription diet brand that costs much less.
Tsung, the vet, says she tries not to recommend specific brands. What matters, she says, is the correct portion size and lots of exercise.
(Featured Photo by Divya Singaravelu)