Your pet’s weight is something that is checked at every visit to ensure that your pet is at a healthy weight. If your pet is overweight, then we can help to work to figure out why and help to get it corrected. Oftentimes pets being overweight are overlooked by owners and even glorified as being extra cute, but this can be detrimental to their help and may even shorten their lifespan.
In addition to coming into the vet to discuss your pet’s weight and assess their body condition, there are a few things you can do at home to help determine if your pet is overweight. There is no ‘one-size fits all’ method to check your peds condition, but there are a few things to look for. For almost all dogs and cats, when looking from above you should be able to see the end of the ribcage where it drops off to a waist. Dogs and cats should all have a waist that is narrower than their chest. For some breeds it is even normal, when at a good weight, to be able to see the last few ribs. When looking from the side profile, dogs should have something called a ‘tuck’ where the belly tucks up at the end of the sternum/ribcage. Cats can also have a tuck, but it can easily be hidden by their primordial pouch, a normal hanging structure from their belly area.
Although there are a few medical conditions that may contribute to excessive weight gain, oftentimes our pets are simply getting overfed, and under exercised. Being overweight carries many of the same risks it does for people, including accelerating and exacerbating osteoarthritis, increased chance of developing diabetes mellitus, worsening cardiovascular and pulmonary health, higher blood pressure, and even higher incidence of certain cancers. Since we are in control of our pet’s nutrition, we should try our best to put their health first! If you are concerned about your pet’s weight, talk to your vet about it at your next visit!
