Fat lady, Pukhlik - as we just do not call our cute chubby pets, giving them a touching smile. But is obesity in cats really fun? Do not feed your pets, because by doing so you harm his health. If obesity itself is not so dangerous, then its consequences can lead to a number of ailments.
What is obesity?
Obesity in cats is a process of deposition of fat in the organs and subcutaneous tissue. This problem affects not only people, but also many animals. According to statistics, 25 - 40% of our four-legged friends suffer from a similar problem. Very often, obesity is associated with an improper diet, animal lifestyle and related ailments.
It's a shame, but very often the owners themselves become the culprits of the fact that the animal is getting fat. Excessive care for the pet and the desire to feed him something tasty lead to negative consequences.
Causes of Obesity
By nature, cats are predators. Under natural conditions, they are forced to independently get their own food, to hunt, while spending a lot of energy. Pets do not need to move as actively as wild counterparts. They get delicious food on demand. Caring owners will not starve their pet. It turns out that with minimal motor activity, the animal receives food in excess.
If a pet receives more calories than it expends, then he will always develop obesity. An unbalanced diet is a large amount of fats, carbohydrates and a very small amount of protein. A very important point is the diet, because the animal is difficult to control himself if he constantly sees in front of him a bowl of food.
It is worth remembering that some breeds are predisposed to obesity, which means that you need to be careful about catering. Also, castration can be a cause of obesity in cats.
Do not forget that the appearance of excess weight may be associated with hormonal disorders. Most often this happens with diabetes mellitus, arthritis, liver problems and cardiovascular disorders.
Symptoms of obesity
What are the symptoms of obesity in cats? It is necessary to pay attention to the behavior of the pet. One of the signs of being overweight is difficulty breathing. The animal refuses games and an active lifestyle.
The reasons for this pet behavior may be different. Do not self-medicate, because first of all it is necessary to establish why the cat got obesity. Causes and treatment are two inextricably linked concepts. One of them follows from the other. To understand how to treat the animal, it is necessary to find out the causes of overweight.
In the best case, everything lies in the wrong approach to nutrition. But do not rule out all kinds of diseases. From a veterinary point of view, obesity in a cat needs treatment. But what it will be, largely depends on the diagnosis made by the doctor. Therefore, at the first alarming symptoms, experts recommend contacting a veterinarian, rather than looking for a solution to the problem in numerous forums. Only a professional can make an accurate diagnosis. In addition, for the diagnosis will have to pass tests. Obesity in a cat can be caused by serious diseases, so the diagnosis of a pet will help confirm or deny assumptions.
Visit to the veterinarian
At the first visit to the veterinarian, the animal will be measured, weighed and weight indicators compared with normal. To determine the causes of overweight, it is usually necessary to take a urine and blood test. If any disease is detected, the specialist will prescribe treatment.
But even in the absence of an ailment, the veterinarian will recommend special nutrition that will normalize the weight of your pet. Treatment for obesity in cats involves following a diet and a proper diet. In addition, the animal should lead a more active lifestyle, in which you should help it.
Of course, it is difficult to fight excess weight , it is easier to prevent obesity in a cat. Veterinary medicine as a science is engaged not only in the treatment of ailments and their diagnosis, but also in the prevention of diseases. Therefore, the advice of veterinarians and related scientific literature must be heeded. Many owners do not consider obesity a problem, forgetting that it leads to the appearance of more serious diseases.
Therefore, immediately after the appearance of the pet in the house, it is necessary to establish proper nutrition for him. This will be the best prevention. Veterinarians will recommend relevant literature that will help to understand the nuances of feeding.
Preventative measures
In order not to wonder how to treat obesity in cats, it is easier to prevent its occurrence. If you do not want the pet to gain excess weight, you must follow a number of rules:
- It is necessary to provide motor activity to the animal. Do not be too lazy to play with him, chasing him with a ball or fishing rod. It is good if the house has a game complex, so the pet has the opportunity to release its energy.
- Diet plays a huge role in preventing the appearance of excess weight. Food should not be constantly present in a bowl. Otherwise, the animal may have a bad habit of overeating since childhood. At the stage of constant growth and adulthood, overweight can still be overcome. But in an adult animal, overeating invariably leads to obesity. The cat needs to be fed 4-6 times a day in small portions. Nutrition must be proper and balanced. A lot of protein should be present in the diet, not fats and carbohydrates.
Proper nutrition
When a pet appears in the house, you will be asked what type of food you prefer. You can choose natural products or buy industrial feed. In this case, the finished food must be premium or super premium.
If you prefer natural feeding, then the following products should be present on the menu of your fourth friend:
- Boiled sea fish.
- Boneless and skinless meat (rabbit, turkey, beef, chicken).
- Low-fat dairy products (up to 5% fat content).
- In moderation, vegetables and fruits.
- Offal is allowed no more than twice a week (peeled and boiled).
Do not forget about mineral supplements and vitamins. They must be present in the diet regularly. It is difficult to correctly calculate the volumes of products offered to an animal. After all, all pets are different and lead a different lifestyle, so they need different servings of food. In general, experimentally, you can learn to determine if there is enough food for a pet. If the cat has not finished eating a serving, the leftovers must be removed so as not to disrupt the diet and prevent overeating.
With ready-made feeds, it is much easier to determine food intake rates. On the package it is written how much the animal needs food by age and weight. If the owner will feed more than necessary, the pet will begin to gain weight.
Pet treatment
To build your animal, you need to make an effort. Only a veterinarian can choose a cat diet for obesity. In the future, you will have to keep a journal in which you will regularly record the weight of your pet. It is worth noting that with obesity, a diet for a cat will be needed in any case.
If a pet is found to have an ailment, the veterinarian will add therapeutic measures. But diet is the foundation of any treatment. Usually, experts do not recommend feeding the animal normal food, reducing portions. This method of dealing with weight is not effective. It is better to use a special cat food for obesity, which is balanced and contains everything you need so that your pet does not suffer from hunger. Which product to use, a specialist will recommend you, taking into account the existing problems. However, nutritional adjustment is necessary every 4-6 weeks.
It is difficult to predict how quickly the pet will bounce back. Usually animals need up to 8-12 months. But the pace of weight loss is largely dependent on the underlying disease. In the event that obesity is caused only by improper nutrition, the veterinarian will limit himself to prescribing a diet. If an ailment is detected, the animal must be treated.
With diabetes, you will have to regularly visit a veterinary clinic to control doses of insulin, with hypothyroidism, it is necessary to control the level of hormones and pressure indicators. In general, the treatment of obesity is complex.
Diet food
Dietary food for cats with obesity is the basis of treatment. Experts note that animals should never be given dietary supplements intended for humans.
For pets who are accustomed to consuming canned food, canned foods Purina Veterinary Diets OM Obesity Feline can be recommended. They contribute to weight loss due to low calories. This food is also good for pets with diabetes, constipation, colitis and other ailments. Its feature is that in the composition there is a lot of fiber and almost no fat.
It often happens that animals get used to the same type of feed, so the owners can not change the manufacturer. As a result, an unbalanced diet leads to problems. And yet you have to change your usual diet. So that the transition is not so painful, you can use food for cats prone to obesity of the manufacturer that your pet liked. Usually in the lines of high-grade feed there are dietary species.
Hills Presciption Diet Feline has proven its worth. It prevents the appearance of obesity, constipation, colitis. It is good even for diabetes. It contains a lot of fiber, significantly reduced fats and carbohydrates, but L-carnitine is added. Vitamins A, E and D are also present in the feed, minerals - phosphorus, calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, which help to strengthen the immune system.
Diet is the basis for treating obesity. But it is worth remembering that the pet must return to its normal weight smoothly and slowly, without prejudice to health.
Another good food for treating obesity is Royal Canin Obesity. It selects the correct ratio of nutrients, which will reduce weight. Chondroitin and glucosamine have been added for the health of joints that are overweight and overweight. And for skin health and beautiful coat, there are fatty acids in the feed (Omega-3 and Omega-6).
It is very important to remember one feature of dietary feed. All of them are contraindicated in pregnant cats. You can not give them during lactation.
Obesity in cats after sterilization
Very often, the result of sterilization is obesity and the appearance of uroliths in the urine. After the procedure, it is important to transfer the animal to a special feed with reduced energy value. They usually contain substances to prevent the appearance of struvite crystals. Modern pet stores offer a wide selection of feeds for sterilized cats. However, do not rush to make hasty choices. For advice, it is better to contact the veterinarian who will appoint the most suitable option.
Obesity in older animals
At different stages of your pet's life, the need for certain minerals and vitamins changes. For this reason, on the shelves of shops you can see food for kittens, adults and elderly cats. In the diet of aging pets, it is necessary to reduce the amount of protein, phosphorus and sodium, so that the cardiovascular system works well.
To slow down the aging process, vitamins E, A and B are needed (12 and 6). Lysine enhances immunity, and zinc and fatty acids provide the beauty of the coat and skin health. Aging cats are often diagnosed with obesity. This is due to the fact that the diet remains the same, and energy costs are reduced. Cats begin to move less and prefer not active games, but calmer ones. Therefore, experts recommend moving the animal to feed for aging pets.
Tasty supplements
If your animal is prescribed a diet, then absolutely all goodies must be excluded from his diet. Very often, the owners feed their favorite creation with goodies from their table. Sweets, sour cream, chocolate and other products are used. Most of them are very harmful to the cat. It is these supplements that lead to obesity. And during the diet, there can be no question of them. Even delicacies from pet stores fall under the ban. During treatment, they will also have to be abandoned. It would seem that harmless additives can lead to undesirable consequences. Therefore, the diet must be strictly observed.
Additional activities
Sometimes veterinarians recommend additional measures for complex treatment. For example, herbal medicine may be used. Decoctions of herbs have not only choleretic and diuretic effects, but also reduce appetite. Plantain leaves are often used, a decoction of which dulls a feeling of hunger. This tincture is also suitable for pets after sterilization.
A decoction of beans, marjoram, birch leaves and dandelion is also effective. It allows you to efficiently remove toxins and salts that appear in the process of burning fat.
Instead of an afterword
Obesity is a fairly common problem among domestic cats. With the appearance of excess weight, you can cope by avoiding overeating your pet. It is very important to think carefully about the diet. Do not despair if the veterinarian has also diagnosed your cat with obesity. Properly selected food will allow your pet to lose weight without harm to health.