Bulger Veterinary Hospital
  • 24-HR ER: 978-725-5544
  • Our Services
    • Anesthesia & Pain Management
    • Cardiology
    • Dentistry
    • Diagnostic Imaging
    • Emergency/Critical Care
    • Exotics
    • Internal Medicine
    • Ophthalmology
    • Surgery
    • Primary Pet Care
      • Kitten Kit
      • Puppy Pack
      • Senior Pet Care
    • Theriogenology (Reproductive Health)
    • Compounding Pharmacy
    • Veterinary Urgent Care Near Here
  • For Your Pet
    • Client Registration Form
    • Curbside Emergency Care
    • Emergencies + Appointments
    • Client Portal
    • When Your Pet is a Patient
    • Pet Insurance
    • Payment Options
    • Online Store
    • End of Life Arrangements
    • Clinical Studies
  • For Veterinary Teams
    • Submit Referrals
    • At a Glance
    • Ethos Materials for Clinics
    • Continuing Education
    • VetBloom CE
    • Clinical Studies
    • Compounding Pharmacy
  • About Us
    • Our Hospital
    • Our Team
    • Giving Back
    • Why Ethos
    • Ethos Discovery
    • Press Releases
    • Contact Us
  • Blogs & Videos
    • Our Blogs
    • PAWEDcasts
  • We’re Hiring!
    • Apply Today
    • Ethos Job Fairs
    • Benefits and Perks
    • Veterinary Training Programs
Bulger Veterinary Hospital
  • Our Services
    • Anesthesia & Pain Management
    • Cardiology
    • Dentistry
    • Diagnostic Imaging
    • Emergency/Critical Care
    • Exotics
    • Internal Medicine
    • Ophthalmology
    • Surgery
    • Primary Pet Care
      • Kitten Kit
      • Puppy Pack
      • Senior Pet Care
    • Theriogenology (Reproductive Health)
    • Compounding Pharmacy
    • Veterinary Urgent Care Near Here
  • For Your Pet
    • Client Registration Form
    • Curbside Emergency Care
    • Emergencies + Appointments
    • Client Portal
    • When Your Pet is a Patient
    • Pet Insurance
    • Payment Options
    • Online Store
    • End of Life Arrangements
    • Clinical Studies
  • For Veterinary Teams
    • Submit Referrals
    • At a Glance
    • Ethos Materials for Clinics
    • Continuing Education
    • VetBloom CE
    • Clinical Studies
    • Compounding Pharmacy
  • About Us
    • Our Hospital
    • Our Team
    • Giving Back
    • Why Ethos
    • Ethos Discovery
    • Press Releases
    • Contact Us
  • Blogs & Videos
    • Our Blogs
    • PAWEDcasts
  • We’re Hiring!
    • Apply Today
    • Ethos Job Fairs
    • Benefits and Perks
    • Veterinary Training Programs
  • 24-HR ER: 978-725-5544
978-725-5544

Our Blogs

Healthy Weight: Reasons to keep your pet in shape!

July 28, 2016

Written by Dr. Lindsay Renzullo

Almost everyone can empathize how hard it can be to maintain a healthy weight for your pet. We have all lost a battle to a cookie or ice cream sundae, and we can directly see the impact that eating unhealthy can have on our own bodies. Carrying around excessive weight can lead to secondary problems in humans, and the same is true for our furry friends. Diabetes, joint pain/arthritis, respiratory problems, grooming difficulties are just a few issues that can be linked to obesity in pets.

Starting a weight loss journey for your pet:
  • Remember this is not something that will happen overnight. Pets for the most part, weigh significantly less than humans, therefore a 2 lb weight loss/week for a human would be great but for a 10-pound cat it can be very dangerous.
  • Different diets contain different caloric content. There are some prescription based diets that are formulated specifically for weight loss and they give specific guidelines on how much to feed to achieve healthy weight loss.
  • Cookies and other per-packaged treats can contain a TON of calories. In some cases, a single cookie or treat given to a smaller dog may be the equivalent of a serving of fast food fries for a human. Many dogs and cats love healthy treat options like carrots or watermelons.
Healthy Treat Alternatives:
  • Apples – without seeds or core
  • Carrots – raw or cooked
  • Blueberries
  • Strawberries
  • Watermelon – without seeds
  • Frozen bananas
  • Green beans
  • Catnip or cat grass
  • Sweet potato -plain & cooked
  • Squash
  • Lettuce
Treats to Keep Away From!
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Fruits with pits (peaches, plums etc)
  • Grapes
  • Onions
  • Mushrooms
  • Avacado
Exercise should not be overlooked!
  • Indoor only cats tend to become very accustomed to sleeping and lounging around, burning very few calories each day. Try to engage your friendly feline with new toys or rotate toys in the house so they are novel and fun to play with. Cat nip can be a great resource to get our cats up and moving and grooving and providing cat trees to climb and scratch are a wonderful resource.
  • Dogs should get to have at LEAST one big walk a day, but it is ideal to aim for more. If your dog likes other canines to play with check out some dog parks in your area.

If you have decided you want to start healthy eating/healthy exercising habits with your animal, speak to your veterinarian before starting any regiment. It is important to gauge how much weight your pet should lose, how fast they should lose it, and any specific concerns to monitor or address while on your journey.

Share

About the Author

  • Lindsay Renzullo, DVM

Related Posts

  • 6 Tips to Help Your Pet Lose Weight
    Read Article
  • 7 Thanksgiving Foods That Can Be Dangerous For Your Pets
    Read Article
  • Diabetes Mellitus in Dogs & Cats
    Read Article
  • Easy Homemade Healthy Dog Treats
    Read Article
  • Ethos Pet Kitchen: Blueberry Peanut Butter Cookies
    Read Article
Bulger Veterinary Hospital
978-725-5544 | 141 Winthrop Ave. Lawrence, MA 01843
  • 24-HR ER: 978-725-5544
  • Our Services
    • Anesthesia & Pain Management
    • Cardiology
    • Dentistry
    • Diagnostic Imaging
    • Emergency/Critical Care
    • Exotics
    • Internal Medicine
    • Ophthalmology
    • Surgery
    • Primary Pet Care
      • Kitten Kit
      • Puppy Pack
      • Senior Pet Care
    • Theriogenology (Reproductive Health)
    • Compounding Pharmacy
    • Veterinary Urgent Care Near Here
  • For Your Pet
    • Client Registration Form
    • Curbside Emergency Care
    • Emergencies + Appointments
    • Client Portal
    • When Your Pet is a Patient
    • Pet Insurance
    • Payment Options
    • Online Store
    • End of Life Arrangements
    • Clinical Studies
  • For Veterinary Teams
    • Submit Referrals
    • At a Glance
    • Ethos Materials for Clinics
    • Continuing Education
    • VetBloom CE
    • Clinical Studies
    • Compounding Pharmacy
  • About Us
    • Our Hospital
    • Our Team
    • Giving Back
    • Why Ethos
    • Ethos Discovery
    • Press Releases
    • Contact Us
  • Blogs & Videos
    • Our Blogs
    • PAWEDcasts
  • We’re Hiring!
    • Apply Today
    • Ethos Job Fairs
    • Benefits and Perks
    • Veterinary Training Programs
© 2023 Bulger Veterinary Hospital
Website Design by Jackrabbit