Cape Town - If yo pet’rs stomach is very close to the ground and has abnormally short legs, you may have an obese pet on your hands.
And to create awareness about the serious health concerns overfeeding can have on pets, vets have teamed up to mark National Obesity Week this month.
Some people would see an overweight pet as healthy instead of obese,
Magrieta Horn from Durbanville who owns a 13-year-old pug, Maggie, said.
She never thought Maggie was obese. She said the vet offered her dog a slimming programme which took about a month for Maggie to shed some weight.
“Maggie lost 31 percent of her bodyweight going from 12.4kg to 8.5kg while she was at the care of Tygerberg Animal Hospital. It took time but it was worthwhile.”
Veterinary nurse at Tygerberg Animal Hospital Sister Norma Boshoff, who has 70 pets on the programme, said owners should be on the lookout for signs of obesity.
“To prevent this, owners must change the eating programmes and check their training routines. Treats like biltong are not good for our pets.”
Boshoff said pet owners can make appointments for their pets at the clinic to get free check-ups and advice.
Hill’s Pet Nutrition said: “Overweight pets have shorter lives; are at higher risk of diseases like arthritis, urinary conditions, skin conditions, heart disease and cancer; and research has demonstrated that fat pets are less happy.”
Hill Pet Nutrition’s Dr Guy Fyvie said: “We control what our pets eat, so in almost all cases pet obesity is a human condition. The truth is we’ve forgotten what a healthy, lean pet looks like.”
l National Obesity Week runs from Thursday to next Monday, October 19.
Cape Argus