Weight management and weight related illnesses and injuries are the most common health issues affecting dogs and cats. In the United States, an estimated 60% of cats and 56% of dogs are overweight or obese¹. (A dog or cat is considered overweight when they are 10-20% above their ideal body weight and they are considered obese when they are 20% above their ideal body weight²).
 
Excessive weight in our pets can lead to numerous health concerns, negatively impacting their quality of life.
 
To better understand the benefits of feeding to an ideal body condition, Purina^® conducted a groundbreaking canine lifespan study over the course of 14 years that found that feeding dogs to maintain an ideal body condition throughout their lives can help extend their healthy years (by an average of 1.8 years for the dogs in the study)³.

Ways to Manage the Extra Weight
The most common cause of weight gain in dogs and cats is eating too much or improperly and/or exercising too little. All those extra treats during the day can add up.
 
Follow these steps to move towards a path to success for weight loss in your dog or cat:
 
1. Recognizing the extra weight-The first step to treating an overweight pet is recognizing that your dog or cat is overweight⁴.

2. Regular exercise-30 minutes of moderate activity such as walking, running or playing fetch 5 days a week is recommended. For cats, try walking your cat with a harness or using a laser pointer for some indoor exercise⁴.

3. Diet^{4 –} Consider changing your pets’ food to a formula that is better suited for their nutritional and exercise needs.
·  High Protein in weight management formulas helps maintain lean muscle mass during weight loss in dogs and cats.
· Lower fat in weight management formulas helps to reduce the foods caloric density.

• Weight management formulas provide reduced calorie feeding instructions to help with weight loss.

· More fiber in a weight management formula can help a pet feel full and also reduce the overall caloric density.

  1. Pet Obesity Prevention. (Feb 20, 2017). http://petobesityprevention.org/
2. Lund, E.J., Armstrong, P.J. Kirk, C.A. (2005) Prevalence and risk factors for obesity in adult cats from private US veterinary practices, Intern J Appl Res Vet Med. 3:88-96.
3. Kealy et al. (2002). Effects of diet restriction on life span and age-related changes in dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 220(9). 1315-1320.
4. Markwell, P.J., Butterwick, R.F., Wills, J.M., Raiha, M. (1994). Clinical studies in the management of dogs and cats. Int J Obes
Relat Metab Disord. Suppl 1: S39-43.