Here at Aldine Mail Route Animal Hospital, we are proud to offer nutritional counseling to keep pets at healthy weights. If they are too big, we offer counseling to get your pets back to the weight they should be.

Obesity is a common problem for our pets. Many people enjoy giving their pets “people food” as a treat, but it is quite harmful for them. Overfeeding also makes pets too heavy. If you want healthy pets who live a long and happy lives, you need to be careful about what they eat. Exercise is also necessary for a healthy life.

Obesity is a big problem. Recent studies show that more than 50 percent of dogs are obese. The rate is even higher in cats (60 percent). Birds, which don’t typically eat “people food,” are often obese because their owners leave food out for them all the time.

Cutting back on food is not always helpful because then your pets won’t get enough of the nutrients they need. Because of this, it is important to balance the amount of food with the amount of exercise to help your pets lose weight.

Sometimes a diet change is necessary, especially for older animals that are not as active. Many veterinarians recommend changing to a diet that is low in fat but still has plenty of protein and fiber. More often, owners need to adjust how they feed their pets, especially after they are neutered and start to become less active. They might not be able to leave food out all of the time and instead, start measuring the food and feeding meals. Sometimes, low-calorie food will help too.

Overweight animals, especially those that are obese, can have a lot of health problems. Their average lifespan is often a few years fewer than if they were at a healthy weight. For this reason, now is the time to make a change to give your pets the best chance at healthy lives.

If you have any questions, concerns, or would like to set up an appointment to talk about the weight of your pets, don’t hesitate to contact us today.