Obesity has reached epidemic proportions not only in the human race, but with our pets. The secondary conditions of osteoarthritis, diabetes, and cardiac disease are much more prevalent because of our desire to please our pets by overfeeding them.

For our indoor cats and sedentary apartment-dwelling dogs, obesity can be difficult to prevent.

If you can’t readily feel your dog’s ribs, or see a visible waistline from the side, he or she may already be overweight. If your cat’s rib cage seems padded and he has a large fat pad in his groin area, he may be obese.

Your veterinarian can help you define how many pounds overweight your pet may be, and help you set up a diet plan.

Genetics plays a part in obesity, but, scince we can’t alter those, let’s concentrate on what we can control. The best way to prevent obesity is to exercise and eat right.   (No great surprise there.)

For your dog, this means planned play periods, walks, Dog Park, fetch, or time cavorting with buddies. I have even taught a dog to walk on a treadmill.

For your kitty, this means playing with feather toys on strings or using catnip to incite activity; my cat actually fetches and retrieves crumpled up balls of paper.   (He loves the crinkly noise.)

The other part of this formula for weight control is the intake of calories.   If your pet is putting on weight and you are exercising him or her, then you need to reduce his intake of calories.

Look at your pet food’s fat content (read the label), and the total volume of food per 24 hours. Are you also supplementing with treats?   How fattening are those treats?

Some basics:   reduce the portions, be sure to feed two to three times per day, use low-calorie foods and treats, break your dog biscuits in half to spread them out, use carrots or green beans in lieu of fattening biscuits, cook your own low calorie biscuits (see recipe below).

Research shows that leaner pets live longer, healthier lives.   Since most of us will outlive our beloved pets, don’t we want them around -- as healthy – and as long as possible?

 

Dog Biscuits

2 cups wheat flour

½ cup wheat germ

½ cup brewers yeast

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup chicken broth

1/6 tsp salt

Garlic powder for flavor

 

Mix flour, wheat germ, yeast, and salt.   Mix in oil and chicken broth, and flavorings.   Work dough into a half-inch inch slab, and cut out shapes.   Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Turn heat off and allow to dry for 2 hours.   Store in refrigerator.   Recipe from Home Prepared Dog & Cat Diets-The Healthful Alternative, by Donald R. Strombeck, DVM, PhD.