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Veterinarian Susan Nelson is urging pet owners to read nutrition labels on pet-food packages.

As with the foods we eat, pet-food products often list the calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates and fiber per cup of food or per treat.

“In the past, we didn’t know how many calories were in various treats,” says Dr. Nelson, an assistant professor of clinical sciences at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. “Now, that’s becoming more available…because more pets are becoming obese and their owners are asking for that information.”

Logging foot intake is important if your pet is overweight.

“It’s probably not necessary if you have a pet that is of normal weight,” Dr. Nelson says. “If it starts to get pudgy, you need to take a look at how much exercise it is getting, how much food you are feeding it and how many treats you’re giving it.

“Generally, I tell people that unless your pet is overweight, go with the guidelines on the food bag,” she adds. “If the pet is a little overweight, you should feed it for its ideal weight and not for its current weight.”

To compare different brands’ nutritional info, look at their dry-matter content. Often, this is not listed on the bag, so you may have to research it online or call the company.

“What most bags list is the nutritional analysis that is formulated on an as-fed basis,” Dr. Nelson says. “To truly compare the nutrient content of foods, you have to look at the dry-matter basis, which takes out water content.”

Always base food choices on your pet’s life stage.

“If your pet is pregnant, a puppy or kitten, has special health conditions or is a senior, there are foods formulated that best meet the nutritional demands,” Dr. Nelson says.

If the pet is extremely overweight, it may need diet food, along with other recommendations. Diet pet foods are lower in calories, nutritionally complete and often contain extra fiber, which helps your pet feel full. Don’t feed your pet less of its regular food, as it may not meet nutrition requirements.

Some dog and cat breeds have the opposite problem: high metabolisms and difficulty in maintain a normal weight. Talk to your vet about pet food with a higher fat content and more calories per serving.

As for treats, make sure they account for no more than 10% of your pet’s calories, Dr. Nelson says. 

Suggested Reading

1. Have Your Pets Gone Organic?
2. Holistic Industry Going to the Dogs
3. How to Switch Your Pet to Organic Food
4. Keep Fido and Felix Fit and Trim
5. Doggiecise Do’s and Don’ts
6. A Fitness Program for Pets (Part 1)
7. A Fitness Program for Pets (Part 2)
8. Pet Bistro Offers Healthful, Organic, Human-Grade Cuisine
9. Rachael Ray Introduces Natural Dog Food
10. The Top 5 Benefits of Natural Organic Pet Food for Your Dog
11. Go Fetch!
12. Holiday Tips from the “Dog Whisperer”

Photo:

As Americans struggle with obesity, so do our pets.

“Pets are overeating and underexercising, and they’re eating too many high-fat foods and treats,” says Susan Nelson, DVM, an assistant professor of clinical sciences at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

To determine whether your pet is too heavy or light, consider Dr. Nelson’s guidelines:

• You shouldn’t be able to see your pet’s ribs, but you should be able to feel them easily, with a thin layer of fat over them.
• When you look at your pet from the side, its tummy should tuck up at the flank area and not hang in a straight line.
• If you look at your dog from above, you should see an hourglass shape: broad at the shoulders, narrow at the waist and broader at the hips.
• If your dog starts to get heavy, cut back on calories and arrange more exercise time.

Work with your family to avoid sabotaging your pet’s diet with treats and table scraps. These hidden calories can be the main contributor to obesity, says Dr. Nelson, who specializes in preventive care, senior wellness and puppy/kitten wellness.

“Sometimes, you’ll try to put your pet on a diet, and then someone else living in the house will slip it treats,” she says. “You should talk with the whole family when putting your pet on a diet. Tell them the diet is necessary to keep the pet at a good weight, which in turn will make it healthier and can help it live a longer life.”

And if you have a small child who drops food (or deviously gets rid of broccoli via canine) at the dinner table, these calories will add up, too.

Tune in tomorrow for the conclusion of this article.

Suggested Reading

1. Have Your Pets Gone Organic?
2. Holistic Industry Going to the Dogs
3. How to Switch Your Pet to Organic Food
4. Keep Fido and Felix Fit and Trim
5. Doggiecise Do’s and Don’ts
6. A Fitness Program for Pets (Part 1)
7. A Fitness Program for Pets (Part 2)
8. Pet Bistro Offers Healthful, Organic, Human-Grade Cuisine
9. Rachael Ray Introduces Natural Dog Food
10. The Top 5 Benefits of Natural Organic Pet Food for Your Dog
11. Go Fetch!
12. Holiday Tips from the “Dog Whisperer”

Photo: