MACARTHUR VETERINARY GROUP

Is your pet overweight?

In today's affluent society, the most common nutritional disorder we see in our pets is simply being overweight. A little bit of extra "padding" may seem harmless, but many of our pets are more than 15% above their ideal bodyweight. This is called obesity, and can have serious implications for their health.

Obese pets are much less active. They have a reduced quality of life and usually a shortened lifespan. They are more likely to develop joint problems (including arthritis), heart disease, pancreatitis, diabetes, heat stress and many other diseases.

Here at Macarthur Veterinary Group, we prefer to work with you to prevent problems before they occur. It's all part of providing high quality health care. With this in mind, we offer you our Weight Loss Program – SlimFit.

So how do you know if your pet is overweight?

It may be difficult for you to tell. You see them everyday and don't notice the gradual weight gain.

• Run your hand gently over the sides of their chest, and the middle of their lower back. You should be able to feel the ribs and the spine without applying any pressure. If you can feel a layer of "padding", then they are probably overweight, and they may even be obese.
• We would like to encourage everyone to come in and weigh their pet (Bradbury, Mt Annan or Camden). It's free and can be done any time during office hours without an appointment. Our staff will happily let you know whether or not your pet is overweight.
  
  
  
  The SlimFit programme, developed by Royal Canin enables us to determine your pet’s ideal target weight and weekly weight loss depending on their age, state of health and physical condition. This tailored diet is an effective means of losing weight safely. We have a number of monitoring aids available to help see your pet through a diet smoothly and successfully.
• A weight monitoring chart
• Personalised computer-assisted monitoring
• A nutritional report on your pet
• Advice on nutrition and basic dietary habits

During the initial Weight Loss visit we will:

• Weigh your pet
• Assess your pet's current weight and body condition score.
• Take a "before" photograph
• Discuss diet and exercise
• Determine your pet's target bodyweight using the computer program developed specifically for this purpose by Royal Canin.
• Formulate an individual weight loss program to help you achieve your pet’s target weight.

Subsequent weigh-ins will be scheduled every 2 weeks for the first six weeks to monitor your pet's progress. Once we have fine tuned your pet’s program, weigh ins will be scheduled monthly. When your pet's target weight is achieved we will schedule another short consult to discuss the best diet to maintain your pet's new slim bodyweight. We will also take an "after" photograph.

So don't keep thinking that weight loss is too hard. Remember that all it takes to get started is a trip to our hospital for a free weigh-in. Our weight loss tips will also help you reach your goal. You might be surprised at the difference that losing those extra kilos could make to your pet's health! Why not call to make an appointment today?