Domestic cats and dogs are more prone to becoming overweight and obese than any other pet, because they may be given improper food or do not exercise enough. Veterinary surgeon Quentin Lawson tells Stephanie Fsadni that the incidence of overweight pets in Malta is very high and puts the blame on a ‘cultural issue’.

Cats are often thought of as playful but lazy pets whereas dogs are considered to be more energetic, yet if they are not fed a proper diet and do not exercise, both are apt to become overweight.

A study by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention released last year showed that 52 per cent of pets in the US are either overweight or obese. Even though a statistical study has never been carried out in Malta, veterinary surgeon Quentin Lawson can say from personal experience that the incidence of overweight pets is very high.

Any pet animal can become overweight but this condition mainly affects cats and dogs. And like in humans, this excess weight may lead to obesity and related diseases.

“Obesity reduces life expectancy in pet animals too. It can cause diseases such as diabetes, cardiac problems, arthritis, respiratory diseases, skin allergies and urinary tract diseases among others,” says Lawson. “Obese cats are unable to groom themselves properly resulting in a poor coat condition.”

In order for an animal to maintain its ideal body weight, the amount of calories consumed on average per day should equal the amount of calories burnt.

“If the animal consumes more calories than it burns, the body will store away the excess in the form of fat,” explains the vet.

The body obtains energy from the food ingested which it uses in turn to carry out all its metabolic needs. A sedentary animal needs less energy than an active one, and consequently will burn less calories, while exercising an animal will induce it to burn more calories.

Obesity reduces life expectancy in pet animals too. And it can cause diseases such as diabetes, cardiac problems...

“It is thus easy to conclude that feeding an animal more than its daily energy requirements, either because the food has a high-calorie content or because the portions are too large and not providing sufficient exercise would make it gain weight.”

Neutering can also slow down the metabolism process, that is the number of calories burned, so pet owners must be more careful about their pet’s diet.

“Neutering has many advan-tages on the animal’s health, but the downside is that it slows down the metabolism. Hence if the owner is not careful to reduce the amount of food given or use a lower calorie diet, then the animal will put on weight after neutering.”

Some people opt to cook their pet’s food themselves, but besides being time-consuming, the quality of the food is questionable.

“Preparing a healthy home-made diet for your pet is not the easiest of tasks and can be time-consuming and even economically unfeasible when compared to the commercially-prepared diets.

“I have nothing against a properly-cooked diet as long as all the nutrients are present and in the right amounts,” says Lawson.

“If the diet is not balanced, however, one risks causing deficiency diseases in his pet. Also, it is very difficult to calculate the amount of calories in the food and how that relates to the amount needed by the animal. As a result, it is very easy for an animal fed home-cooked food to put on weight.”

The daily calorie requirement of a pet depends on various factors: the weight, age, sex, breed, physiological state (such as pregnancy), whether the animal is neutered and the amount of exercise performed.

“It’s difficult to give a figure. I would recommend that a pet owner seek advice from an expert such as a veterinarian.

“Most commercially-prepared pet foods indicate the suggested daily amount of food to be given depending on the weight and, in the case of growing puppies and kittens, the age of the animal.”

Sweets are sometimes given to pets as treats. Apart from having a high-calorie content, sweets can also induce other diseases, including diabetes.

“Sweets should be given sparingly, if at all. It would be better to give treats meant for cats and dogs and in moderate amounts. Low-calorie treats are also available.”

Exercise should form part and parcel of pets’ daily routine, but it is not in most cases.

Lawson is concerned about the fact that many Maltese owners do not walk their dog: “I am surprised by how many dogs are not walked at all in Malta, and this includes large breed dogs. This seems to be a cultural issue. Many are convinced that a run on the roof is enough.

“I once read that getting a dog is a good way for a person to lose weight, but I don’t think this applies to Malta!”

He says that many people fear their dog might get sick by walking outside, when in reality, a dog may come in contact with an infectious agent simply by smelling clothes and shoes.

“So I think the issue is not that people don’t have time to walk their dogs, but merely don’t want to walk them. And if someone is too busy to dedicate the time for a walk to his dog, then he had better not keep a dog in the first place.”

Lawson recommends that dogs be taken for a walk at least once a day, which helps not only in preventing weight gain.

“Exercising a dog is, more importantly, an occasion for the dog to bond with its owner and to socialise with other persons and dogs. A well-exercised dog is a happy dog.”

The duration of the walk depends on the age, the breed and the physical condition of the dog.

“One cannot walk a dog for an hour if out of training. Instead one should commence with a 10-minute walk and increase gradually, always stopping to give the dog a rest if necessary,” points out the vet.

He adds that one should avoid walking dogs under the hot summer sun and should seek veterinary advice before exercising elderly dogs.

On the other hand, domestic cats cannot be exercised like dogs. Cats that live only indoors do very little exercise spontaneously, so they should be encouraged to play.

“One can make use of cat toys including balls. Some balls can have treats placed inside which fall out when the cat rolls the ball about the place,” suggests Lawson.

The good news is that unlike dogs, cats only need a few minutes of daily exercise in order to prevent them from putting on weight.

Tips on how to keep your pet fit

• Measure and feed the correct amount of food.

• Weigh the food using kitchen scales.

• If the animal is fat, feed it a low-calorie prescription diet.

• Don’t leave food in the bowl all day long (but leave water always available).

• Exercise your pet: play with your cat and walk your dog.

• Ask your vet if your pet is overweight.

• Weigh your pet regularly: weigh yourself holding your pet in your arms and then subtract from your own body weight.

• Measure your pet’s chest and waist using a measuring tape.

• Keep a diary of your pet’s weight and measurements.