MAKING NEW YEAR’S DIET
Don’t Forget Your Pets!
BY MELANIE SWITZER REILLY
Now that the season of indulging on holiday treats is over, many of us have made a
resolution to shed a few pounds. While it’s a great personal goal, you might want
to take a look at your pet’s waistline, too.

Recent studies show that a whopping 59 percent of cats and 54 percent of dogs
in the U.S are overweight or obese. We sat down with Alexandria-based veterinarian
Dr. Katy Nelson to discuss this surprising trend. She off ers some great advice on
helping our furry friends fi ght the fl ab.

Q&A WITH DR. KATY NELSON
HOW CAN WE FIRST
TELL IF OUR PET IS
OVERWEIGHT? While humans rely on the
body mass index (BMI)
scale to measure fi tness, we
use what is called the body
condition score (BCS) for pets.

The BCS has a scale from one
to nine. If your pet scores
a one, they’d be emaciated,
while a nine would mean
severe obesity. The sweet spot
you want to aim for is a fi ve.

If I see any pets that are a six,
I urge my clients to address
it immediately before it gets
even worse.

26 January 2019
WHAT KINDS OF HEATH
CONDITIONS CAN PET
OBESITY LEAD TO?
Sadly, it can have so many
repercussions on their
entire life. We used to look
at being overweight as just
a fat storage issue, but we
now know that fat cells
washingtonFAMILY.com are actually tiny hormone
factories that produce
almost 60 diff erent kinds of
dangerous hormones. And
by allowing them to sit and
breed in our bodies and our
pet’s bodies, we are lett ing
them wreak havoc by causing
infl ammation, which can lead
to cancer and diabetes. It can
also lead to arthritis, heart
disease, hyperthyroidism,
breathing and joint problems
and more.

WHAT ARE SOME BAD
FEEDING HABITS PET
OWNERS ENGAGE IN?
Just like we control what goes
into our mouths, we have
to remember that we also
control what goes into our
pet’s mouths. Unfortunately,
we are often overzealous
in the ways we feed them.

“Rounding out the food” may
make it easier for you and
your busy day, but it’s doing
Cat: IStock/Getty Images Plus/iridi; Other: Provided
WHAT DEFINES
PET OBESITY?
Ideally, you want to see that
waist tuck, which means
that you want to be able to
diff erentiate between their
ribcage and their hips. If
you’re looking down at
their back, and it’s “totally
tubular,” you probably have
a fat pet on your hands. For a
quick and easy test, take your
two hands and press down
on their rib cage. If it takes
some pressure to feel the
bones, they probably have a
signifi cant fat layer, and that
could spell trouble.




RESOLUTIONS? completing a workout can
makes a huge diff erence in
both your days. Even on those
lazy weekends that you don’t
feel like gett ing off the couch,
trust me, your pet will! Also,
we should remember that our
pet’s health is a family aff air.

Everyone who cares for our
pet during the day has a role
to play — whether it’s the dog
walker, the nanny, friends or
relatives. We all need to take
our pets health seriously and
communicate to each other
what we are feeding them.

ANY FINAL TIPS?
your pet a huge disservice. If
you consistently round out the
food, that’s roughly 25 percent
more food per day than they
need. The extra calories will
soon add up, just like how
those extra cookies do for us.

Additionally, table scraps,
extra treats and unintentional
snacks can be horrible diet
choices for your pet, not to
mention toxic. If you want to
give an occasional treat,
make sure it’s healthy and
that it factors into their daily
caloric intake. If possible,
homemade treats are best —
try some boiled chicken, fresh
sardines or even a spoonful of
peanut butt er.

HOW CAN PET OWNERS
GO ON A JOURNEY OF
WELLNESS WITH
THEIR PETS?
There is no bett er exercise
buddy than your dog! A
tired dog is a happy dog, and
appointment with your
veterinarian to check their
weight and determine their
body condition score. Be
sure to also bring your pet
food label so your vet can
see exactly what they’re
eating. They will be your
best defense at getting
“Fido” back into fighting
shape. It’s never too late to
start on a journey of health
and wellness, even for our
four-legged friends!
Melanie Switz er Reilly is
a Northern VA-based mom,
television producer and
print journalist.

I’d love to see pet owners
work closely
with their
veterinarian to determine
their pet needs,
while also
rethinking the
idea of treating.

A treat could be
a walk outside,
a run to the post
offi ce, window-
shopping or
whatever gets
both of you up
and moving.

When our pets
are long gone,
what we’ll
regret is not
having spent
more time with
them, not the
extra biscuits
we held back!
If you think
your pet might
be overweight,
“We should remember that our pet’s
make an
health is a family affair.”
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