Weight management Flashcards
obesity
an accumulation of excess body fat
how can you figure out if a dog is overweight or obese?
figure out by weighing them
they’re considered overweight when they weigh 10-20% above their ideal body weight
obese when they weight more than 20% above their ideal body weight
how can you visually tell if a dog is obese?
feel your dog’s ribs (their ribs just behind their shoulder blades should feel the same as how your knuckles feel when you touch them while holding your hand palm down)
you can also check your dog’s BCS
what are the risks of being obese?
obesity shortens a dog’s life (by 6-12 months) and makes them more likely to develop disease
what conditions does obesity contribute to?
arthritis, pancreatitis, kidney disease, respiratory compromise, decreased exercise and heat tolerance, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, abnormal response to insulin, increased anesthetic risk, decreased quality of life
how does obesity increase the animal’s anesthetic risk?
anesthesia binds to fat so it takes longer to put them under and wake them back up
why is obesity a health hazard?
fat tissue is biologically active: it secretes inflammatory hormones and creates oxidative stress on the body’s tissue which contributes to disease
how can you adjust a dog’s meals to help them lose weight?
adjust feedings to a specific diet, a specific portion, and a specific meal frequency
don’t just reduce the amount of the current food (will cause malnourishment), get a special diet for weight loss
diet change for weight loss
feed a diet with lower overall calorie density that maintains an appropriate nutrient balance
good weight loss goal is 1-2% of body weight per week
anorexia
a decrease or loss of appetite for food
hunger is physically driven
appetite is mentally driven
what are the two types of anorexia?
pseudo-anorexia: wants to eat but is unable to because of some physical cause (ex: difficulty picking up food, difficulty swallowing it)
true anorexia: doesn’t want to eat
how is anorexia treated?
will depend on what the diagnosis is
vet may prescribe a short-term appetite stimulant such as Cyproheptadine or Mirtazapine
supplements may be added if there is a mineral imbalance that interferes with normal appetite
simple treatment steps for anorexia
adding a canned formulation to the diet, heating food to body temperature, adding a bit of low sodium chicken/vegetable/beef broth for flavor enhancement, temporarily preparing a home cooked diet with guidance from the vet
extensive treatments for anorexia
feeding tubes into the nostril, stomach, or small intestine through a small incision in the skin
if the GI system is not working the vet may do parenteral feeding: nutrition is provided by IV (usually done by a specialist)
