Hypothyroidism, or having a low or under-performing thyroid gland, seems to be the one disease pet owners wish for. I can’t tell you how many overweight/obese dogs I see that the owners want me to test them for low thyroid. It can’t be that he’s fed too much, or never exercises. No, we want to […]
With the majority of pets in this country being overweight or obese, there’s a good chance your dog is one of them. Your veterinarian may have suggested you put your overweight dog on a diet, and even gave you specific ideas on how to get the weight off your dog. She may say things like […]
If you read my earlier article about the health risks of obesity, you might have been inspired (or scared!). If your pet needs to lose weight, the time to start is now. First, accept the fact that weight loss takes time – often months. If you have a large dog who has mobility issues, losing […]
Obesity is, in the majority of cases, brought on by simply overfeeding. But you can turn things around! If you read my previous article on the tragedy of obesity, you need to know there can be happy endings! We just need to acknowledge the problem and intervene as early as possible. Here’s two success stories […]
You might feed organic, grain free food. Fluffy might be sleeping on a bed of dye-free organic cotton. You might cook free-range meat with whole grain meals every day for your pet. She drinks filtered water. Her air purifier hums consistently. Hopefully you keep your pet on a routine heartworm preventative. You follow your vet’s […]
What an animal weighs is just a number. The current trend in people is to use body composition, or “percent body fat.” This gives a much more accurate interpretation of a person’s build. You can have two 5’8″, 170 lb women. One can be a couch potato with no muscle, and she may be 38% […]
I’ve known Regan for years. She had slowly put on more and more weight as she got older. She finally reached the point where that extra weight was dramatically affecting her life. Both knees are compromised, with one being surgically repaired, so asking those joints to carry extra weight caused even more pain. Even with […]