You want to do everything possible to preserve your senior pet's health, and helping them maintain a healthy weight is one of the best ways to keep them healthy, happy, and comfortable. Excess weight can enhance aging effects on your pet's body, place additional strain on painful joints, and make diseases such as diabetes and heart failure more likely. On the other hand, pets who are underweight may be weak and unable to enjoy life fully. Here are five steps you can take to help maintain your senior pet's optimal weight.
Step 1: Determine your pet's body condition score
You first need to know whether your pet is carrying extra weight, or needs to add a few pounds. Appreciating weight loss or gain can be difficult when you see your pet every day, and changes occur gradually over months or years. Using a scale to determine whether your pet has lost or gained weight since their last weigh-in can be helpful, but each pet's ideal weight is different, and a number may not accurately reflect their health status. Instead, check whether your pet's waistline narrows when viewed from above and from the side. Also, run your hands over their ribs—you should be able to feel them easily through a thin layer of skin and fat, but not see them. For the most accurate evaluation, ask your family veterinarian to assign your pet a body condition score. You can also use this chart for owners.
Step 2: Choose an appropriate diet for your senior pet
Your pet's nutritional needs change over time. A growing puppy needs different fat, carbohydrate, and calorie amounts than an adult dog and your pet's needs shift again in their later years. Older pets typically need less fat and calories, and diets formulated for senior pets' unique needs are available. If your pet has a medical condition that requires a specially formulated diet, those needs must also be taken into account. Ask your family veterinarian to help you choose the appropriate food for your pet's situation, including any weight loss or gain they need to achieve.
Step 3: Feed your senior pet the correct amount
Pet food companies provide feeding recommendations on their packaging, but they may not adequately address your pet's specific needs. Instead of feeding your pet according to the pet food bag, consult your family veterinarian about their proper daily calorie amount. Using your pet's current weight, goals, life stage, and activity level, your veterinarian can calculate a daily calorie allotment, so you know exactly how much to feed at each meal. You might consider measuring your pet's food with a measuring cup to ensure you are feeding the accurate amount, and save 10% of their daily calorie allotment for treats.
Step 4: Help your overweight pet lose extra pounds
Being overweight predisposes your pet to disease conditions, adds stress to arthritic joints, and can shave years off their life. Helping them lose extra weight can keep your beloved companion by your side for as long as possible. Your veterinarian will calculate your pet's correct calorie allotment, and help you choose an appropriate food for weight loss. Sticking to the plan is essential, which means that sharing your bowl of Cheetos is off-limits. Toss your pet a carrot stick instead—most dogs love fresh fruits and vegetables, and cats often enjoy canned pumpkin and fresh cantaloupe.
Your aging dog may not be able to join you on a grueling hike, but that does not mean exercise is off the table. A short daily walk will do more good than napping the afternoon away, and your pet may appreciate several short exercise sessions each day. Cats have a hard time ignoring their strong prey drive, so lure them from their favorite resting spot with a feather wand or robotic mouse.
Step 5: Entice your underweight pet to eat more
Many geriatric pets have the opposite problem—they have lost weight due to a disease process or appetite loss, and need to gain weight. Enticing your pet to eat more can be challenging, but these tips may help:
- Add a few teaspoons of canned food or a "gravy" topdressing to your pet's dry food
- Warm your pet's food to enhance the aroma
- Keep food available throughout the day so your pet can eat whenever they are hungry
- Keep bowls on each house level so food and water are always easily accessible
- Keep food and water bowls at an appropriate height so your arthritic pet doesn't have to lean over to eat or drink
- For pets that have mobility problems, consider having an extra food and water bowl near their bed.
- Ensure your pet does not have a painful dental disease that prevents them from eating comfortably
Your family veterinarian can also recommend calorie-dense foods that will help your senior pet make the most of the food they eat.
Your pet's weight change caused by a medical condition will progress over time. You may choose to support your companion through their final days with hospice care. For guidance with nutritional needs of hospice pets, call our office line at (802) 872-2329 for more information and to schedule an appointment.