Weight Management for Pets

Maintaining a healthy body weight is one of the best ways to keep your pet healthy throughout their life. Determining your pet’s ideal body weight can be challenging – it may help to refer to our body condition scoring chart, or meet with a veterinary team member in order to determine if your pet is at a healthy weight.

Obesity can contribute to a number of disease processes including arthritis, diabetes and lower urinary tract disease. Feeding a complete and balanced diet at the recommended number of calories will help your pet meet their nutritional needs while maintaining a healthy body weight. In some cases, underlying medical issues could be contributing to an animal being over or underweight. Our veterinarians can make recommendations for health screening tests to rule out a medical issue.

When is a dog or a cat considered to be overweight?

The exact weight range wherein a pet is considered to be overweight varies and depends on a wide variety of factors such as breed and age.

How do I know if my cat or dog is overweight?

Aside from reaching out to our team, you can consult a body conditioning score chart, such as the one that can be found in the following website: American Animal Hospital Association – Weight Management

How can I help my cat or my dog lose weight?

• Feed them a calculated amount of calories, using healthy food with quality ingredients
• Encourage them to hunt for food and to exercise through walks, playtime, etc.

What is offered during a nutritional consultation?

A registered veterinary technician will meet with you and your pet. They will take their weight and conduct a body condition assessment. This information combined with a detailed diet history provided by you, will help them formulate a weight loss plan individualized for your pet.

Are some breeds prone to obesity?

Some breeds may be more food motivated than others, or more prone to underlying medical conditions that can contribute to obesity. However, maintaining a healthy weight can be achieved by balancing calories going in with calories being expended through exercise. We invite you to consult with one of our veterinary team members today about your pet’s nutritional needs.