October 9th was National Pet Obesity Awareness day (who knew?). We came across some amazing information from the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center and had to share it with you!
“Veterinarians estimate that more than 50% of their pet patients are overweight or obese. Many pet parents can tell if their pet is obese, but what they might not realize is that our pets can suffer from weight-related problems long before they become obese. Especially in our canine companions. Studies have shown that as little as 15% over their healthy ideal weight can shorten their lives by up to 2 years! Being just a little overweight can accelerate the development of painful joints, lameness and the progression of arthritis, and the need for pain medications to live a comfortable life.”
If you can’t tell if your pet is overweight, here is an easy guide call the Pet Body Condition Score (BCS):
If you have specific questions about your dog’s weight, please discuss this with your veterinarian. In the meanwhile, go out and take a nice walk with your best friend!
The additional 2 years we hope to enjoy with our pups is motivation enough to keep Missy & Buzz looking their best, at all times. They both have a nice waistline they always get complimented on whenever we’re at our vet’s 😉
I like that way of checking for the right weight. So easy to explain it to people. We also weigh in, just to make sure!
That’s such a simple way to check, thanks for sharing!
A good weight is so very important. Mom can tell by looking at us if we are fit or not, and then when we are at the vet, at least twice a year, we always weigh in. Luckily, we are always the same weight within a pound, but if anyone had gained, more exercise and less food would be the immediate plan. No snug fitting fur allowed here.