A Systematic Approach to Pet Obesity
by Jenny Alonge
According to an Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) 2018 survey, veterinary healthcare professionals classified 55.8% of dogs and 59.5% of cats as clinically overweight or obese. Clinically overweight is defined as a body condition score (BCS) of six to seven, and obese is defined as a BCS of eight to nine. Overweight and obese pets are at risk for numerous serious health conditions, including endocrine disorders, cardiac and respiratory diseases, degenerative joint disease, and neoplasia. In addition, these pets are at higher risk for anesthetic complications, and their body condition can make examinations and imaging techniques more difficult. Formulating a strategy to help these pets lose weight and maintain a healthy weight can be challenging, so this article offers a systematic approach to standardize your care for your overweight and obese patients who have no other health conditions.
Pet owner communication
Many veterinarians have difficulty discussing a pet’s weight status, especially if the pet’s owner is overweight. The first challenge is getting the owner to accept that their pet is overweight. Most pets seen on the internet and on television are not a healthy weight, and owners are often surprised to learn that their pet isn’t at an ideal weight. Providing pictures of ideal weight pets can be helpful to demonstrate how a healthy pet should look.
The next challenge is getting the owner to comply with your recommendations, because they may be reluctant to deprive their beloved pet of food and treats. Focus on the detrimental health effects of excess weight, and stress that the pet’s quality of life and longevity is at risk if they don’t lose the weight. Improve compliance by involving your entire veterinary team in communicating with pet owners about this important issue.
Nutritional assessment
In addition to obtaining a medical history and performing a standard physical examination, you should complete a thorough nutritional assessment that includes:
- Diet history — Ask the pet owner open-ended questions to determine the pet’s caloric intake, the food types they eat, and how the pet is fed. Considerations include:
- Main diet — What food is the pet given at mealtime? How much food? How often are they fed? How is the portion measured? How long can they access the food?
- Treats — What treat types does the pet receive? How frequently do they get treats? How many treats do they get?
- Table scraps — Is the pet given people food? What foods do they receive? How frequently do they eat people food?
- Other pets’ food — Does the pet have access to other pets’ food?
- Dietary supplements — Does the pet receive any dietary supplements?
- Extraneous food — Is the pet given food for training or medication administration?
- BCS — Assess the pet’s BCS so you can track their progress once you initiate a weight loss plan.
Muscle condition score (MCS) — An MCS accessment is also important, since obese animals frequently lose muscle and appear more bony, which makes an accurate BCS difficult.
Estimate ideal body weight
A BCS of four to five is considered ideal, with every point above this parameter representing about 10% to 15% of the pet’s weight. Division factors for calculating ideal body weight have been determined:
- BCS 6/9 — The division factor is 1.1.
- BCS 7/9 — The division factor is 1.2.
- BCS 8/9 — The division factor is 1.3.
- BCS 9/9 — The division factor is 1.4.
Using these guidelines, the estimated ideal body weight can be calculated using the formula:
Ideal body weight = Current body weight/Division factor
Determine recommended intake
The next step is determining how many calories the pet should receive to safely lose weight. Steps include:
- Estimating the pet’s energy requirements — The most commonly used formula to calculate a pet’s resting energy requirement (RER) is:
RER (kcal/day) = 70 x (BWkg) 0.75
By multiplying RER x 1.0 for dogs and RER x 0.8 for cats using ideal body weight calculations, you can determine the pet’s estimated energy requirements for weight loss.
- Comparing the pet’s current intake — Compare the pet’s current food intake with the calculated recommended intake. In some pets, metabolic rate is slow, and they may already be receiving the recommended amount. If so, diagnostics such as thyroid tests may be needed to determine whether an underlying health condition is contributing to the pet’s weight gain. Consulting with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist may also be helpful.
Devise a weight loss strategy
Strict dietary monitoring is necessary for a successful weight loss program, where the goal is restricting calories while providing adequate nutrition. Steps include:
- Choose an appropriate food — Most overweight and obese pets should be placed on a therapeutic weight loss formula. These diets are nutrient-dense and contain a higher concentration of protein, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids per kilocalorie than regular maintenance diets. Therapeutic diets also have a lower energy density, so the pet owner can feed a larger portion.
- Measure the food — Ensure the pet owner uses measuring cups or weight scales to accurately measure their pet’s meal portion.
- Avoid feeding people food — The pet should not receive people food, and all family members should adhere to this rule.
- Account for treats — Vegetable and fruit slices make great treats for pets on a weight loss program, but the owner must account for these calories in their pet’s overall daily calorie intake.
- Exercise — A safe exercise program can help facilitate the pet’s weight loss.
Monitor the pet’s progress
Weight loss at a rate of 0.5% to 2% of body weight per week is considered safe for pets. The pet should be weighed every two weeks to monitor their progress, and their caloric intake should be adjusted if they aren’t losing weight or losing weight too quickly. Once the pet reaches their target weight, their calorie intake should be increased to a normal RER to maintain their ideal body weight.
Every patient is unique and requires a customized weight loss strategy, but this systematic approach can serve as a starting point to help you treat your overweight and obese pet patients.
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