Thank you for helping us better understand pet obesity. Please take a few minutes to complete one or both of these surveys.
The first survey allows you to record your pet’s weight data. You will need to weigh your pet as accurately as possible. You may weigh yourself, then weigh yourself holding your pet and record the difference.
Click here to enter your pet’s weight information
The second survey concerns pet owner’s attitudes about pet obesity, diet and exercise. It consists of 10 simple questions that will take only a couple of minutes to complete.
Click here to take the 2011 National Pet Obesity survey
Thank you for your help. Your efforts will help veterinarians better understand pet obesity and provide pets with better medical care.
Please share with your friend’s on Facebook, Twitter, Google+.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me at DrWard@SeasideVet.com.
I live with what is Known as a Throw Back Pomeranian. They were originally bred at 30#, mine weighed in the last time at just over 19#, I am trying to get him to 17# but the vet said 18# was acceptable. He also told me it was harder to get the weight of a small bred dog down then a larger bred, but what he failed to mention was why. I found this site and it explained a lot. Trying to find a dog food with 301 kcal per cup was not easy, I also can’t because he is a throw back utilize his bred as amens to get weight recommendations because everthing is geared to a teacup pom. When we started this weight loss program he weighed in at 23#. His being overweight was because I was loving him to death by providing him with treats. I no longer by food unless it has the kcal listed.
I have found that most vets will admit that nutrition is their weak subject. I have Corgis and an Australian Shepherd and all my dogs are active either in agility or daily exercise/training. It is NOT harder to get weight off a small dog, even one with a slow metabolism. If you feel guilty for being at work all day, as a treat when you come home give your dog green beans, carrots, cauliflower, something like that. If I train more one day than the next, whomever it was will get less dinner as they were given training treats (chicken hearts~~easy to toss, tuna brownies, etc.) earlier on. So much of feeding is common sense. You give what works for your dog(s). I also teach for one of the local dog clubs and the amount of people that tell me that they feed what is recommended on the dog food bag blows me away and they can’t understand why their dog is so fat~~HELLO, dog food companies are in the business of selling dog food. EVERYONE needs to consider the amount of work (or not) that their dogs do on a daily basis. I fed raw diet for years because I had a dog that did much better on that than on kibble (he was border line IBD). I now have a rescue that can’t metabolize the raw and is allergic to anything chicken so have switched to a high quality grain free, fish based kibble. Rather than feed 2 different foods, I’ve switched all the dogs (the corgis don’t seem to really care what they get as long as they get fed and I lost the corgi with IBD to old age). Everyone is doing well and their weight is easily maintainable. I tend to look at protein and fat content first and I also will either ‘yay or nay’ a food based on the first 5 ingredients listed.