Pets and owners share a weighty problem

MAT-SU — It may be an old wives’ tale that we can observe a lot about ourselves from our pets, but when it comes to being obese, myth meets fact.

The Centers for Disease Control reports that about 148 million adult Americans are overweight or obese, which is about 68 percent of that population. Following suit at an alarming rate is the growing girth of our pets. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention’s 2010 Pet Obesity Study, an estimated 54 percent of our cats and dogs are overweight or obese.

It’s a trend that’s mirrored by Valley pets and their owners, said Dr. Jack Morris, a 40-year veterinarian who’s operated the Wasilla Veterinarian Clinic since 1980.

Packing plenty of pounds on a Pekinese or some unwanted weight on wolfhound “is really a pretty big problem,” Morris said. “Actually, a lot like we do with ourselves, a lot of people are often in denial about their weight and in denial about their animals. In fact, they get real upset sometimes if you tell them their animals are overweight.”

Whether people are in denial or not, extra weight is as serious for pets as it is for their owners. An average cat that weighs two pounds over its ideal weight is like a human with an extra 20 pounds, Morris said. And obese pets often can develop some familiar health problems.

• Osteoarthritis.

• Type 2 diabetes.

• High blood pressure.

• Heart and respiratory disease.

• Injuries to ligaments.

• Kidney disease.

• Many forms of cancer.

• Up to 2.5 years of decreased life expectancy.

“Diabetes from obesity, particularly in cats, is a real problem,” Morris said. “The other is arthritis, just like people. Because of the more weight on the joints, there’s more stress. Plus, there’s fat inflammatory precursors, so an obese animal’s inflation would be worse than a lean animal.”

The worst culprit that’s making our beloved companions fat is the same thing that makes us obese, Morris said.

“It’s overeating, obviously,” he said. “One of the things people don’t think about is treats. Along with their daily food, they’re often giving them another cup of treats throughout the day. As a rule of thumb, they’re about the same amount of calories as a (full portion) of food.”

Portion size is also important in keeping pets at healthy weights, the doctor said. When a bag of pet food says to feed a dog or cat 1 cup of food (or whatever the recommended serving is for your size pet), it means 1 measured cup.

“The other thing they do wrong is they’re not measuring the food,” he said. “They end up giving them more per day than they need.”

And while some may like that there are never any leftovers with the family dog around, feeding animals from the table can be a very bad practice, Morris said.

“What we generally tell people is if you’re going to feed them from the table, don’t give the fat off your steak,” he said. “Give them a carrot or something. Dogs, particularly little dogs, if they’re used to getting the fat off a pork chop, they’ll hold out to get that.”

What about those sad, woeful eyes many pet owners can’t resist? Will a pet really die if he or she doesn’t get that prized morsel?

“No, they’re not going to die,” Morris said.

Knowing that many of the factors that make us overweight also affect our pets, the solutions are also similar, Morris said. Diet and exercise are key to maintaining optimum health for pets, too.

“If people will exercise with their pets it makes a world of difference,” he said. “I know that with cats that can be harder, but there are a lot of things out there you can try and get them active, like chase kinds of toys. One way to maintain weight is to exercise more. The other is to reduce the caloric intake. Most people don’t really know how much they’re feeding their pets.”

As pets grow older, they often become less active. While exercise is still important, older pets also need fewer calories because of their decreased activity.

“As will all of us, as their metabolism slows, their calorie requirements go down,” he said.

If you’re unsure about how to make sure your pet can achieve and maintain a normal weight, consult with your veterinarian, Morris said. For more information, contact Wasilla Veterinarian Clinic at 376-3993.

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.