5 TIPS FOR HEALTHY WEIGHT By DR TARA MORRIS
1. Devise an exercise routine tailored for your pet. For example, a senior dog is not going to run around or need a high amount of exercise but it needs consistent small walks to keep muscles strong and burn some calories. 2. Ensure your pet has a nutritious, balanced and portion-controlled diet. Stick to the daily recommended intake on the packaging. 3. Make sure all family members are on board with the pet’s new regime so you know when your pet is being fed and what they are eating. 4. Don’t allow your pet to graze as some are not good with self- control. Have set meal times for your pet and stick to them. 5. Take care not to give too many treats to your pet or feed them table scraps. These can deliver a lot of calories, often more than we realise for the size of the pet.
“If they look a little like a table top, or their tummy is bulging or sagging, your pet is probably carrying too much weight.” DR TARA MORRIS Veterinarian
gaining weight than others and whether or not the pet is desexed can make a differ - ence too. “Like humans where you can have one person that ‘looks’ at cake and puts on weight and another who eats the whole cake and doesn’t gain anything, sometimes it just comes down to individual genetics. “What might be a healthy figure on the scale for one animal is not the same for another animal, even if they’re the same breed. Rather than just look at the numbers on the scale, we observe the pet too. How easy is it for us to feel their ribs? If you have to put a fair bit of pressure on to feel a pet’s ribs or you can feel a thick coating of skin over those ribs, the pet is most likely overweight.” She suggests pet owners check to see if their dog or cat has a ‘waist’. “Behind the ribs, dogs and cats should have a little waist that tucks in and expands again for the hips. If that is not there and they look a little like a table top, or their tummy is bulging or sagging, your pet is probably carrying too much weight.” One of the signs your pet’s health is being affected by their weight is if they
become lethargic and struggle to exercise. “If your pet is developing other diseases because of their weight they might have trouble getting up in the morning due to developing arthritis. They might be drink- ing too much water and urinating more, which can be a sign of diabetes,” says Dr Morris, noting your vet can advise if your furry friend needs to be on a “proac- tive weight loss plan”. Weight loss, too, needs to be in moder- ation. “It needs to be a gradual process. You don’t want your pet having sudden weight loss due to excessive exercise or overzealous food restraint. Particularly if your pet has not been used to exercise. Taking them on a five-kilometre run is not going to be good for anybody,” says Dr Morris. “Building up exercise as they lose weight will ensure they gain more energy and they will feel happier and more comfortable to do those longer walks as time progresses.”
Seniors Pet Insurance can help protect your pet with cover for specified accidental injury and illness. Call 1300 375 903 or go to seniors.com.au
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DARE SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2023
SENIORS.COM.AU
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