| Big Boss' battle of the bulge theashburtonguardian.co.nz
Boss has always been a big cat. At 8kg, he’s always had big feet and a big head, but being big boned isn’t an excuse anymore. Boss is on a diet. The four-year-old was recently taken to the vet for a sore leg and his owners were given strict warnings about the health risks of him being so heavy. Owner Lisa Boote said Boss was big from the beginning. “We live in a farm area so he catches birds, rats and mice but he’s highly unmotivated. He’s never been playful so he doesn’t burn it all off. "We have two other cats that are fine, but they’re all on a diet now because it’s hard to control. “It’s hard to keep him on that diet because he’ll just go catch other things, but he’s lost half a kilo since he’s been on it. "We were told about the health problems he could have so knew we had to do something. He’s still a very happy cat though,” she said. And the Bootes are not alone with their big cat. Overweight animals are becoming a common sight at vet clinics around Ashburton. The biggest cat companion animal vet Justin Silcock has seen at his Vetlife Ashburton Veterinary Centre clinic was 11kg. “Weight in kilograms isn’t always a good indicator of how much fat an animal is carrying. "We use a condition score system that takes into account the natural variation in animal size due to individual or breed differences. “There’s usually a simple reason for an animal being overweight, whether it’s because too many treats are given at home or (in the case of cats) they may be getting fed by neighbours.” ee with obese pets are diabetes mellitus and degenerative joint disease (DJD or osteoarthritis). "These result in reduced life expectancy and unnecessary pain and suffering,” he said. Pets and Vets has a group dedicated to animal weight loss called the Podgy Pets Club. Vet nurse Lisa Pauletich is in charge of the group and said it was like Weight Watchers for animals. “If the vets have any consults with obese animals that need to be put on a prescription diet, they come in fortnightly for a weigh-in. It’s about education too. We teach the owners not to give them treats and to work together to help the animal. “We have had plenty of overweight animals, but use a body score system so can’t say what our biggest would have been. The average cat should weigh about 4 to 6kg, but it’s harder with dogs because of all the different breeds. “There are heaps of health risks with overweight animals like pancreatitis, arthritis, diabetes, liver problems, skin conditions and general bad digestive systems. “They can also take longer to recover from surgery and have a shorter lifespan,” she said. Mr Silcock said that taking control of an overweight animal’s diet was important. “Anyone who is worried about their pet’s weight is welcome to come along and ask about weight management and the best ways to measure body fat,” he said. “An essential part of our service is consulting with owners on routine care issues such as diet composition and feeding regimes. This is important because a lot of owners tend to overlook a little extra weight on their pets. “It’s far easier to prevent unnecessary weight gain than try and get the weight off a pet that is already too fat. “When an animal comes in for yearly vaccinations and health checks, it’s a good opportunity for owners to go over their animals’ feeding regime with their vet. “It is essential that weight loss in cats is a closely controlled process. Their livers have a finite ability to process mobilised body fats and when this is overcome, a kind of temporary liver failure can result,” he said. Miss Pauletich said it was important for owners to follow the labels on pet food containers. “On every bag there should be guidelines to follow and they shouldn’t be getting any more than that. An average cat shouldn’t be getting more than a cup of biscuits a day. “It can be hard to put cats on a diet, because they are natural predators and want to catch stuff. "You have to be strict and try keep them inside at night so they don’t get into scraps,” she said. June 29 2009 |
No comments:
Post a Comment