obesity & weight reduction

Transcription

1 obesity & weight reduction pet-pod Produced in cooperation with click here for audio welcome

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3 OVERVIEW Like people, most pets love to eat! And, just like with people, this love of food can pack on the pounds for pets. It is estimated that nearly half of the dogs and many of the cats in the United States are overweight. A good percentage of these pets can be classified as obese, which indicates a serious weight problem. An easy way to estimate the proper weight for your dog is to feel the ribs and points on top of the backbone. These should be easily felt, with just a small amount of underlying fat. If not, your pet likely has a weight problem. Overweight dogs and cats are at greater risk of a wide variety of conditions, including arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, back problems, and skin problems. Obesity also makes it difficult for your pet to get around, and many obese pets pant or gasp after only mild exercise or routine daytoday activity. Weight gain can be rooted in underlying metabolic problems such as diabetes or hypothyroidism. But most weight gain is caused by simply taking in too many calories and not burning enough off through exercise. In other words, an imbalance between calorie intake and exercise output. So, in many cases, the most effective and healthiest way to reduce your pet s weight is to reduce the calories and increase the exercise. Your veterinarian may recommend starting a weight-loss program by switching your pet s diet to a commercial reducing formulation that is high in nutrition but low in calories. New diets should always be introduced gradually, because sudden changes can lead to digestive upsets. Breaking up the daily amount of food into several small feedings can help distract your pet from the fact that it is eating fewer calories. Avoid feeding snacks between meals! Keep in mind that dog biscuits and other pet treats contain calories as well, sometimes many more than you would think. Most importantly, don t feed table scraps, which are nearly always high in calories and low in nutrition. The new diet should be coupled with an exercise program to get your pet s metabolism going. It s best to begin gradually, starting with short walks and then increasing their length. The daily exercise may also improve your health! It is important to remember that pets don t rummage through the fridge or buy fast food. We control what they eat. Dramatic weight loss and health improvement can be achieved if you remain committed to a weight-loss program and put your pet s health first. 3

4 OBESITY Obesity is defined simply as an accumulation of excessive amounts of fat in the body. Pets are classified as obese when weight exceeds 30% of optimal weight, with those between 15% and 30% classified as overweight. Both conditions can lead to serious problems, but the risk increases with added weight. Optimal Adult Weights for Popular Breeds of Dogs: 4

5 OBESITY Optimal Adult Weights for Popular Breeds of Cats: Source: Case, Linda P. Canine and Feline Nutrition: A Resource for Companion Animal Professionals, 3rd Edition. Elsevier, Copyright Procter and Gamble Co., Cincinnati, Ohio,

6 OBESITY Overweight and obese pets have excessive fat build-up around the neck, over the tail-head, along the underside, and within the abdomen. Neither the ribs nor the backbone can be easily felt because of the overlying fat. Research suggests that 34% 41% of pets are overweight or obese. Worse yet, this figure is on the rise, so pets may soon mimic human statistics, in which two-thirds of American adults are estimated to be overweight or obese. Risk Factors Dogs and cats evolved from predators like wolves, and still retain many of the behaviors associated with these ancestors. This includes a feast-or-famine eating pattern. So, many pets gorge at each meal as if they may not eat again for a long time, even if they re fed regularly at the same time every day. Pets also get less exercise than wild relatives that had to make long trips to hunt prey. Obesity arises out of a combination of factors, such as evolutionary history, genetic predisposition, the availability of highly palatable and calorically dense foods, and the tendency of many owners to give high-calorie treats. Put more simply, obesity comes about when energy intake exceeds expenditure for a significant period of time, and certain factors increase the probability of this happening. Diet and exercise are undoubtedly the most important risk factors for obesity. Dogs: The number of meals and snacks fed, the feeding of table scraps, and simply letting pets hang around when owners prepare their meals have all been implicated in canine obesity. The type of commercial diet fed may also be important, with more obese dogs eating generic/grocery brands rather than name brands (e.g., IAMS, Purina, or Hill s). Cats: In cats, feeding premium foods, feeding free choice, and feeding fresh meat or table scraps all seem to increase the risk of obesity.` Insufficient exercise greatly increases the risk of obesity in all pets. Diseases such as hypothyroidism and Cushing s disease increase the risk, but these ailments underlie less than1% of obesity in pets. Genetics are also an important factor, with certain breeds at higher risk, including: Labrador Retrievers Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Cocker Spaniels Cairn Terriers West Highland White Terriers Scottish Terriers Collies Dachshunds Basset Hounds Beagles Domestic shorthair cats 6

7 OBESITY Middle age is a particular risk factor for being overweight in cats and dogs, just as it is in people. Neutering also predisposes to obesity in both dogs and cats, but research suggests that this is due to changes in behavior (not metabolism), leading to increased food intake and decreased activity. Certain drugs (e.g., corticosteroids and anticonvulsants) can increase appetite and therefore weight gain. Owner factors also play a part, with obese people, women, and permissive owners tending to feed too much. Furthermore, these owners may not even know that there is a problem; almost one-third of obese dog owners consider their dog s weight to be normal. Health Consequences In general, excessive weight is a major risk factor for a variety of diseases that can significantly decrease the lifespan and quality of life for dogs and cats. Some problems arise simply because of the weight itself, which puts strain on joints and bones, makes it more difficult to breath, and increases work for the heart. Obese pets also have difficulty grooming and can develop deep skin folds, both of which can lead to dermatitis. Obese pets also have difficulty cooling themselves, increasing the risk of heat stress. Obesity also tends to disturb the hormonal system. In particular, fat tissue secretes a range of chemical factors (such as cytokines) that can impact the normal function of many body systems. Many of these factors stimulate inflammation, so that obesity results in a state of constant mild inflammation. 7

8 OBESITY Some Common Ailments Associated with Obesity in Dogs or Cats Disease Area Orthopedic Hormonal Digestive Tract Urinary Tract Heart/Respiratory Skin Cancer Other Disease/Disorder Increased lameness Osteoarthritis Cruciate ligament rupture Hip dysplasia Disk disease (back problems) Diabetes mellitus Hypothyroidism Cushing s disease Dental/oral disorders Pancreatitis Fatty liver Increased risk of diarrhea Urinary tract infection Spayed-bitch incontinence Bladder stones Bladder cancer Heart problems Tracheal collapse Asthma High blood pressure Skin Problems Increased cancer risk Increased risk from anesthesia Decreased tolerance to heat Exercise intolerance TREATMENT Effective weight reduction involves a multistep approach that includes good owner commitment, a feeding plan, and an exercise regimen. Owner commitment is especially important because reducing your pet s weight is a long, arduous process. But just like any journey, the weight-loss process begins with a single step. Start with a trip to the vet to make sure that there are no underlying problems such as hypothyroidism, Cushing s disease, or diabetes. Your vet will also check overall health and gauge your pet s body condition as a way of estimating a goal weight and the number of pounds your pet needs to lose. Once underlying conditions are addressed, your vet can help you tailor a weight-reduction plan for your pet. The overarching goal is to decrease calorie intake while increasing energy expenditures via exercise. 8

9 TREATMENT What to Feed? Your vet will probably recommend a commercial high-fiber, low-calorie diet that promotes weight loss without drastically shrinking meal size. Such reducing diets are specially formulated to decrease energy intake while still maintaining the proper balance of vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients. Reducing diets are usually high in protein, so that lean muscle mass will remain as fat melts away. Your vet may also recommend vitamin supplements to ensure that no deficiencies develop. How to Feed? In general, you ll need to feed at set meal times, rather than leaving food down all the time. Remember that obese pets get that way because they eat anytime that food is available. It is also important to remember that pets can still gain weight on reducing diets if they eat enough. Most importantly, you will need to restrict treats and prohibit access to the food of people or other pets. Multi-Cat Households It can be very difficult to get an obese cat to lose weight in a multi-cat environment. You ll need to feed all cats at set meal times so that you can feed the obese cat separately and keep it away from the other cats food. Naturally, all leftover pet food and people food must be picked up to deny it to the obese cat. One trick that sometimes works involves placing food for non-obese cats in a large box with a narrow opening too small for the obese cat to enter. There are also radio-controlled devices that work much like an automatic garage-door opener. The non-obese cats wear special collars that trigger a radio receiver in a door, letting only them enter the feeding area. 9

10 TREATMENT 10

11 TREATMENT Charts for Estimating Body Condition in Dogs and Cats Source: Case, Linda P. Canine and Feline Nutrition: A Resource for Companion Animal Professionals, 3rd Edition. Elsevier, Copyright Procter and Gamble Co., Cincinnati, Ohio,

12 TREATMENT How Much to Feed? Your pet gained weight gradually over its life, and weight loss should be a similar gradual but steady process. The goal is to shed about 0.8% 1% of body weight per week. Therefore, a 70- pound dog should lose an average of pounds per week, and a 15-pound cat should lose an average of about pounds per week. Of course, these estimates will vary from individual to individual. Many dogs and cats lose weight in a stair-step fashion: losing quite a bit over a couple of weeks and then not losing much over the next couple of weeks. To achieve weight-loss goals, pets are initially fed about 60% of the calories needed to maintain their current weight. Alternatively, some experts recommend basing the daily calorie target on an estimate of what is needed to maintain ideal (i.e., optimal) weight. In either case, charts can be used to gauge the amount of food that should be fed per day, but remember that such estimates will need to be adjusted based on results for your pet. A calorie (cal) is technically the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius (1 C). But when referring to the energy content of foods, the term calorie typically means kilocalorie (kcal), which is equivalent to 1,000 cal. The body derives this energy when digestive processes reduce food to usable biofuel that the body burns in the complex chemical reactions that sustain life. This energy is used by every bodily process, from the building up of cells, to the motion of the muscles and the maintenance of body temperature. Your vet can advise you on how to monitor the situation to make sure that your pet continues to lose weight at a steady rate. He or she may recommend weigh-in visits every few weeks, at least during the initial phases. Once the target weight is achieved, feeding is increased to the level needed to maintain that weight. However, it is important to continue to monitor body weight to ensure that there is no rebound weight gain that can undo the hard-fought reduction. a) Photograph of an obese 7-year-old Jack Russell Terrier weighing 15.6 kg (34 lbs). b) The same dog 181 days later and 14 pounds lighter after successful weight loss. Source: Ettinger, SJ & Feldman EC: Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 7th Edition. Elsevier,

13 TREATMENT Energy Requirements (based on 60% of current weight) for Weight Loss in Dogs & Cats Source: Case, Linda P. Canine and Feline Nutrition: A Resource for Companion Animal Professionals, 3rd Edition. Elsevier, Copyright Procter and Gamble Co., Cincinnati, Ohio,

14 TREATMENT Weight-Loss Drugs A drug called dirlotapide (Slentrol ) is approved in the United States as an aid to weight reduction in dogs, but not in cats. This pill acts partly by blocking fat absorption from the gut, but mostly by depressing appetite. Research has shown it to be effective and safe, although some dogs may vomit during initial treatment. Dirlotapide is a new product that can be an important adjunct therapy in severe or unresponsive canine obesity. However, drugs are no substitute for common-sense weight loss through altered diet and exercise. It should also be noted that dirlotapide works best when given with a fatty meal, which somewhat complicates treatment with low-fat, reducing diets. Although dirlotapide makes it easier for obese pets to lose weight, appetite returns rapidly after the drug is stopped. So it is still very important to use appropriate feeding and behavioral strategies during and after treatment to avoid a rapid rebound in body weight. Lifestyle Management Modern pets live much longer, healthier lives than their ancestors. But in many ways, these lives are in conflict with their evolutionary past. For example, most dogs today are kept as companions and house pets rather than as active, working partners to their human masters. Similarly, most cats lead sedentary, indoor lives rather than having the run of farms and neighborhoods as in years past. Activity levels also decrease with age, neutering, and the presence of chronic illnesses or developmental disorders that would have shortened the lives of their wild forebears. As with obese people, a vicious cycle can develop in which an overweight pet becomes increasingly sedentary and reluctant to exercise because the excess weight makes moving around difficult. This in turn leads to more weight gain, more reluctance to move, and so on and so on. Decreased activity leads to a direct reduction in energy expenditure and a tendency to gain weight even without increased food consumption. Research has shown that sedentary animals tend to eat more food and gain more weight than do moderately active ones. In fact, it appears that decreased food intake can t entirely compensate for extreme inactivity, so that sedentary pets may tend to gain weight even when they eat very little. Exercise Given that effective weight reduction is a matter of decreasing intake while increasing expenditure, physical activity is an important adjunct in any weight-management regimen. Exercise promotes fat loss while helping to preserve lean muscle mass. Your vet can help you tailor an exercise program to fit your pet, taking into consideration any concurrent medical concerns. Good forms of exercise for dogs include walking, swimming, and hydrotherapy. Dogs generally find these activities enjoyable because they get to spend time with their owners, who also benefit from the increased activity. 14

15 TREATMENT It s generally a good idea to start off slow and to initially limit strenuous or intense activity (such as jumping for Frisbees) until weight loss has taken the strain off the heart, joints, and soft tissues. You should also use special care during hot weather, because overweight pets are at increased risk of heat stress. Hydrotherapy is a method of assisted exercise that is gaining popularity in animal rehabilitation. The buoyancy of water is used to counter the effect of gravity and body weight. The actual amount of assistance is determined by the degree of immersion, up to the point at which the pet must swim (which is itself an excellent form of low-impact exercise). Specialized hydrotherapy pools are increasing in number, so that assisted walking or controlled swimming can be used as therapeutic aids in weight reduction. Initially, sessions are kept short (a few minutes once or twice weekly) and are gradually increased. Underwater treadmills can also be used to exercise obese or arthritic pets. Pets should never be left unattended in the hydrotherapy pool. Getting cats to exercise can be difficult given their naturally sedentary nature. To increase activity, try placing meals in locations that force your cat to climb or jump. Catnip, dangling balls or lights, and fishing rod toys can also be used to encourage play activity. Feeding toys are also an ingenious way to make pets work for their food. The toy contains a fixed amount of kibble, which the dog or cat must play with (i.e., roll or push) in order to obtain. PREVENTION As with most ailments, it is better to prevent obesity than to try and treat it once it has developed. To protect your pet s health and welfare, follow a reasonable nutrition and exercise strategy from the time you pick up that new puppy or kitten to well into its old age. Seek out advice from trusted sources, especially your vet. Puppy consults and annual checkups are good times to discuss these matters with your vet, who can gauge your pet s body condition and recommend corrective actions or changes in diet. It is also advisable to schedule a couple of weight checks in the first six to 12 months after neutering, which is a time when many pets start putting on extra pounds. 15

16 GLOSSARY FOR OBESITY & WEIGHT REDUCTION Anticonvulsants Calorie Corticosteroid Cruciate Ligaments Cushing s Disease (Hyperadrenocorticism) Cytokines Dermatitis Diabetes Mellitus Hip Dysplasia Hydrotherapy Hypothyroidism Obesity Drugs used to decrease the frequency and intensity of seizures A calorie (cal) is technically the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius (1 C). But when referring to the energy content of foods, the term calorie typically means kilocalorie (kcal), which is equivalent to 1000 cal. The body derives this energy when digestive processes reduce food to usable biofuel that the body burns in the complex chemical reactions that sustain life. This energy is used by every bodily process, from the building up of cells, to the motion of the muscles and the maintenance of body temperature. A drug that mimics the hormones involved with controlling inflammation and swelling; these are sometimes referred to as steroids, but they should not be confused with the anabolic steroids used in body building. The crossed ligaments that keep the knee from sliding forward or backward, while still allowing it to bend. Abnormally high levels of cortisol in the blood. Cortisol is the natural form of corticosteroid produced by the body. Chemical messengers released as part of an inflammatory response. Common cytokines such as leukotriene and interleukins signal inflammatory cells to multiply and enter the damaged area. Inflammation of the skin Increased blood sugar caused by either insufficient insulin or a failure to properly respond to insulin. Laxity in the hip joint that leads to secondary arthritis and joint damage. Hip dysplasia has a genetic predisposition, making it especially common in certain breeds. Having pets walk (or swim) while immersed in warm water. The buoyant properties of water ease strain on heart, muscles, and joints, making exercise easier for obese or arthritic pets. Too little of the thyroid hormone that controls metabolism Being more than 30% above ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with a wide variety of health problems. 16

17 GLOSSARY FOR OBESITY & WEIGHT REDUCTION Osteoarthritis Pancreatitis Spayed-Bitch Incontinence A type of joint inflammation generally associated with aging; also known as degenerative arthritis Inflammation of the pancreas, which is the organ within the abdomen that produces digestive enzymes and insulin. Urinary incontinence that sometimes develops after neutering due to loss of the sex hormones that normally tighten the bladder sphincter. 17

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