Importance of Weight Loss

Obesity plagues a large percentage of our pets the same way it affects a large percentage of the people in our country.  Frederick, MD is like any other community. We are a society that values instant gratification and what serves that need better than a tasty treat.  We are becoming more aware of the detriments to our health secondary to being overweight.  We are starting to become invested in better nutrition forcing the producers of our foods to consider addressing those demands with better choices.  

Humans have a lot of influencing factors that contribute to being overweight.  We could attribute it to stress, lack of self control, lack of time to plan healthy meals, and the list goes on and on.  Animals on the other hand have one influencing factor and that is the human putting food in the bowl.  We are responsible for our pets being overweight.  We need to understand that our pets can suffer the same ailments with their health secondary to being overweight.

They are at increased risk for lung and heart disease, arthritis early in life, diabetes, cancer, constipation and chronic pain.  For all these reasons, if you think your pet may be overweight, a consult with a veterinarian or veterinary technician is a great place to start. They will assess how severe the weight gain is and get their help to address nutritional needs, caloric restrictions and exercise that can help your pet achieve an ideal body condition score.

We at Kingsbrook Animal Hospital are always ready to help you assess your pet's nutritional needs and find a diet and feeding protocol that will help your four legged friend live a long and comfortable life. 

Remember food is not love and your pet will enjoy quality time with you as much as the extra snacks!!