naturalpet FAT FIGHT
Like Us, Pets Must Eat Right and Keep Moving by Dr. Shawn Messonnier
O
besity, a severe and debilitat- ing illness, is the most com- mon nutritional disease in both
animals and people. The latest survey of 121 veterinarians in 36 states by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) and corroborating American Veterinarian Medical Association data reveal we have 80 million fat cats and obese dogs; that’s more than 58 percent of dogs and 52 percent of domesticated cats. “Pet obesity remains the leading health threat to our nation’s pets,” says Dr. Ernie Ward, APOP’s founder, from the organization’s headquarters in Cala- bash, North Carolina.
Current medical consensus states that an animal is obese if it weighs at least 15 percent more than its ideal weight. But looking at body composi- tion is more accurate, based on mea- surements top-to-bottom and side-to- side and depth to the ribs and spine.
Health Issues Animals aren’t born fat. Obesity results from too many calories in food, snacks and treats, paired with a lack of aero- bic exercise. People may believe they are showing love by rewarding beg- ging with treats, but they actually may be slowly killing their companions with kindness, putting them on a path toward painful and costly medical problems. These can include cancer, car- diac problems, complications from drug therapy, difficulty breathing, heat intolerance, hypertension, interverte- bral disk disease, orthopedic conditions (including arthritis), lethargy and rup- tured ligaments. Also, because excess body fat first deposits in the cavities of the chest and abdomen and under the skin, hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus can de- velop, so screen overweight animals for these disorders prior to treatment for obe- sity.
Tackling obesity involves restricting calories and increasing the metabolic rate with a controlled exercise program. Diet and exercise are the two most vital factors in fighting fat.
Offering a Blend of Western & Eastern Medicine
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Eating Right Simply switching to a store-bought “lite” pet food is inadequate because many are designed to maintain, not lose, weight. Also, many products contain chemicals, byproducts and unhealthy fillers that are contrary to a holistic program.
A homemade restricted-calorie diet is the best choice for obese ani- mals. The second is a processed “obesi- ty-management” diet available through veterinarians, although many of these also contain chemicals, byproducts and fillers. Such diets can be used to attain the target weight, and then replaced with a homemade maintenance diet. Foods high in fiber work well for shedding pounds because they increase metabolism. Vegetable fiber decreases fat and glucose absorption. Fluctuating glucose levels cause greater insulin re- lease that can lead to diabetes; because insulin is needed for fat storage, low, stable levels are preferred. Fiber also binds to fat in the intestinal tract and increases the movement of digested food through the intestines.
Supplement Options Several natural therapies may be helpful for treating animal obesity. These include herbs such as cayenne, ginger and mustard; white bean extract; chromium; carnitine; hydroxycitric acid (HCA); epigallocatechin gal- late (EGCG); and coenzyme Q10. All have been widely used with vari- able suc-
cess,
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