Too many pets are packing too many books

Pets make us healthier. Research shows that they can elevate our morale, prolong our lives, lower our blood pressure and make us more active.

Do we do the same for them? Otherwise, we may not be able to keep our share of the market.

The annual survey of the Association for the Prevention of Obesity in Pets (APOP), published in March, found that 60% of cats and 56% of dogs in America were clbadified as overweight or obese.

"We are seeing more and more dogs and cats entering the category of obesity, and that's where the biggest risk lies," said Dr. Ernie Ward, a veterinarian from Carolina. North, founder of APOP in 2005. "We are facing more weight-related diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, cancers and kidney disease."

The organization establishes statistics by collecting scores of body condition (a cat and dog equivalent for body mbad index in humans) of visiting pets to their veterinarian for a general health examination on a given day in October. The latest survey was conducted on 1,560 dogs and 646 cats in 41 states.

Whatever the numbers, few people doubt that many domestic animals, like many of their owners, pack too many books.

"Our pets are actually overweight," said Dr. Deborah Linder, director of the Animal Obesity Clinic at Tufts University, in North Grafton, Mbadachusetts. "It's not that a big pet is a happy pet, their quality of life really goes down, but it can still increase once we lose weight."

If your pet does not want to step on the scale, Linder explained that a simple test can detect any weight problem.

"If you feel the back of your hand, it's exactly like your pet's ribs should be padded," she said. "There should not be more fat on them than on the back of your hand.If there is, start talking to your vet."

The first thing the vet should tell you, Ward said, is that food is not synonymous with love.

"We have an emotional connection with food that is unique to the human species," he said. "Champagne with parties, cakes with birthdays, turkeys with holidays, we naturally transfer this context to our pets, but they do not celebrate birthdays, they love food."

At the Tufts Clinic, Linder encourages homeowners to find ways to bond with their pets and demonstrate a love that does not always involve food.

"Seeing your pet happy must come with a lot of calories?" she says. "We have to do something with our pets that causes them to lose weight but does not suppress the joy of the relationship."

Just like people do, diets need to reduce calories, but not nutrients. And as for people, it's not easy.

"You will be surprised at the precision of science," said Ward. "We can manipulate protein levels, lipid levels, carbohydrate levels, fiber and supplements.There are many sophisticated tips that your vet can help you with."

Ward advocates what he calls "parallel solutions" that will benefit both the best friend of man and the man.

"Many of these things are things you should also consider for yourself," he said. "If you change the frequency with which you walk your dog, you will get additional benefits, so if we educate our children about how we feed our dog or cat, we may be paying more attention to our own eating habits."

The price may be more than years of company.

In a landmark study published in 2002, two groups of Labrador waste pickers were followed throughout their lives, with the greedy group having a longer lifespan of almost two years. More recently, a study conducted in 2018 on 12 common dog breeds found that normal weight dogs live five to 2.5 years longer than their overweight counterparts.

"It takes a lot more time with your pet if you keep it well," Linder said.

Ward said the lack of progress in fighting obesity in pets was "disappointing," but he remains optimistic.

"When I started this 15 years ago, it was kind of a joke," he said. "People have said: 'Look Garfield eat all these lasagna.'

"But we've changed the language, and more and more people see it as a serious threat, a disease that deprives your pet of years of life and causes him pain and suffering."

---

---

The American Heart Association News covers the health of the heart and brain. All opinions expressed in this story do not reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is the property of the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. If you have any questions or comments about this story, please send an email to [email protected].