As you would consider a diet for yourself you need to take the same the approach to feeding your pet.
Unfortunately I cannot make the final choice in what you should feed your pet. I have recommended and used a number of different foods over the years and have listed these at the end for you to consider. Feel free to leave comments at the end of this article with any questions you may have.
Should I take my pet to the vets?
Again, it is always recommended that humans should see their doctor before starting a diet. The reason is simple, Is there a medical explanation as to why your pet is overweight? Do they have a metabolic disorder or perhaps an underlying disease such as diabetes or kidney disease, which although are not the reason your pet is overweight, but are health implications that need to be monitored to ensure you are not causing more harm than good.
Once you have the “all clear” from the vet your pet's diet can start. Most veterinary clinics will have a dedicated Veterinary Nurse to perform FREE weight checks (I was once one such nurse). They will also have suitable scales and charts to help you, so why not use this service?
You can of course do it all by yourself, it might be worth seeing if there are any like minded pet owners you can use for support.
Remember that even if you do choose to do it on your own, you can still use your vets to weigh your pet.
How do I make an informed choice on what to feed my pet?
Every veterinary clinic will have its own first choice of pet food, much like we have our favourite brands of breakfast cereal. It doesn't make these foods right or wrong for your pet. Most vet nurses running clinics will use what they feel comfortable in recommending - usually because they have seen results! Remember if you do have a preference, do tell your vet/nurse, they will be more than happy to use any diet food, everyone wants the same results at the end of the day - A healthy and happy pet! It is worth considering your veterinary practice might be able to offer you a food loyalty scheme to enable discounts on your diet food ( if you use their choice of diet), some manufacturers and veterinary practices have a yearly competition for the pet slimmer of the year with nice prizes!
How to choose the right food
You need to take the following factors into consideration:
- Species. If they are a cat they are obligate carnivores*, there is no point expect your cat to eat a salad! However you could consider bulking up your dog's diet with a few vegetables rather than an extra scoop of dog food.
- Age and health of your pet. Kidney disease and other illness can make an impact on ideal meal plans. If your pet is unwell you should always consult your vet for nutritional advice. Older pets might also be a bit more stubborn to changes.
- What are they currently eating? You should never change a pets food overnight, apart from being rather frustrating for your pet, an increase in dietary fibre ( which most commercial pet diet foods contain) can often result in an upset tummy.
- Your lifestyle… do you have a multi-pet household? do you have several people in the house feeding the pet?
It’s important to remember that we humans are responsible for our pet’s food intake and that we can sometimes ‘kill with kindness’ – just the smallest scrap of human food as a treat is very bad for your pet. Giving your dog just one biscuit is the equivalent to us eating a whole burger whilst giving your cat a single cube of cheese is equivalent to us eating 2 and a half burgers!
Weight loss tips:
- Do an assessment of everything your pet eats – be honest!
- Be sensible and realistic in making targets
- Feed multiple small meals – split your pet’s daily allowance into 2-4 smaller meals
- Use an interactive feeder to stop your pet just wolfing down their food
- Assign feeding to one person so pets can’t beg extra meals off different people in the house! or at least create an "I have been fed chart"!
- Feed pets separately so they can’t eat each other’s food or consider a microchip pet feeder.
- Perform weekly weigh-ins and take measurements of your pets neck and waist. Just like us, your pet's shape should change. I have created this Pet Weight Loss Record Card for you to print out and keep.
Pet food labeled as ‘light’ is not the same as a specialised weight loss diet. It simply helps to PREVENT weight gain.
Cat and Dog Diet Foods (in no particular order)
- Hills r/d
- Hills Metabolic
- Royal Canin Obesity Management
- Purina OM
- Eukanuba Restricted Calorie
CATS Only
- Hills m/d ( Do not feed without Veterinary Advice)
- Hills Metabolic and Urinary Control (for cats with bladder and urinary tract issues)
DOGS Only
- Hills Metabolic and Mobility Control (For dogs with joint issues too)
Useful Tools and online Resources
*Obligate Carnivores - Also know as true carnivores, are such as they are unable to synthesize certain amino acids ; retinol, arginine, taurine, and arachidonic acidwhich are naturally present in meat protein. There is some debate as to cats being fed a vegetarian diet with these amino acids obviously needing to be supplemented. I leave this for you to personally consider. I cannot deny that some of the information provided seems valid, yet as I am not a vegetarian myself I do not feel the need to even consider this. I am not 100% comfortable in recommending such a change, I wonder if this is because I have not seen nor witnessed anyone feeding a true vegetarian diet to their cat?
