AR-News: Obesity in Cats and Dogs

[FARM]

washingtonpost.com - Tuesday, September 9, 2003; Page A03 
Fat Cats and Dogs Get Diet Advice 
Report Targets Pet Obesity, How to Identify It and Reduce It 
By Rob Stein, Washington Post Staff Writer



People aren't the only creatures getting flabby: The nation's obesity epidemic has spread to its cats and dogs, prompting the nation's most august scientific institution to advise pet owners how to spot if Spot is getting tubby -- and what to do about it.

The National Research Council, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences that usually advises Congress about global warming, cancer and other weighty issues, yesterday released a 447-page report entitled "Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats," the first comprehensive update of canine and feline nutrition since 1986.

The dense tome, compiled by an international team of scientists that reviewed thousands of scientific papers published over the past 25 years, details everything from the inner workings of dog and cat digestive systems to where to squeeze a poodle to find out if it's fat.

Obesity is estimated to occur in 25 percent of dogs and cats in westernized societies," the report states. "The incidence of obesity increases with age and is more frequent in neutered than intact animals. In addition, cats are affected by obesity at an earlier age.

Like humans, overweight animals face an increased risk for diabetes, heart disease and many other health problems, the report states. It provides detailed advice for how pet owners can tell if their four-legged companions are overweight, how to change their diet to help them lose weight, and how much exercise and what type they should get. 

Americans own an estimated 77 million cats and 65 million dogs -- one cat or dog for every one or two citizens.

To determine if a dog or cat is overweight, owners should squeeze them to see if they can feel their ribs. If not, the pet is probably overweight. Another technique is to look at the animal from above and see if the "waist is easily noted." If not, the animal is probably too fat.

"If the dog or cat is too heavy, it should be fed less food. This can be accomplished with any animal in a number of ways," the report states, before explaining that owners can feed their pet less in each feeding, reduce the number or feedings, or use diet food.

© 2003 The Washington Post Company 


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