Feline Weight Management
Buddy's story...
Feline obesity is a growing problem, one that can lead to numerous health issues such as diabetes and heart disease (both costly to treat).
‘Buddy’ joined the Balanced Paws Team in May of 2013, weighing in at 30 pounds of feline, not the best mascot for a holistic Veterinary clinic.
Here is what Buddy-Boot-Camp looked like.
- Diet: Raw food is ideal for weight control being high in protein and low in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are not a friend to our felines. Cats are carnivores and in nature eat mice, one of the highest sources of taurine and no carbs. When offered raw food ‘Buddy’ gave us the stink-eye and promptly flicked it across the room. Hence we chose Purina OM (overweight management) a high protein, low carb kibble.
- Food dispenser: Buddy went from free choice feeding to working for his food. Kibble is placed into a dispenser that Buddy bats around & kibble falls out. It took about 4 days for Buddy to get the hang of it and now he is quite adept and even spins the lid off on occasion.
- Exercise: When Buddy first joined us he could only climb about 2 stairs, huffing & puffing and he routinely got “turtled” on his back & stuck for 10 minutes at a time. We placed Buddy’s food dispenser at the top of a flight of stairs. It backfired a couple of times when he pitched the food dispenser down the stairs, kibble everywhere enabling him to graze his way down.
- Swimming! Who said cats can’t swim? Swimming was invaluable when it came to increasing Buddy’s metabolism. Buddy’s first and subsequent swimming videos can be found on Balanced Paws Facebook page.
- Bathing: Fat cats accumulate dander due to an inability to groom appropriately, especially in those hard to reach places. Bathing made Buddy feel obviously much better plus there was a lot of post bath licking and cleaning to be done, it all uses up calories.
- Stimulate Play: Difficult to do with a lump of feline. Laser pointers, string, and any variety of toys. We did try many with Buddy all of which were received with a look of distain. We are happy to report that Buddy did just chase his first bug.
Nobody said that feline fitness was easy, but it can be done. A few pounds can make a big difference.
Left: May 2013 (30 lbs)
Right: January 2014 (23.4 lbs)
After 8 months Buddy was down from 30 pounds to 23.4 pounds he is still a work in progress with his target weight being 14 pounds.
Buddy’s ongoing battle with the bulge... chapter two
Apparently Buddy is one tough feline and up to the Boot-Camp challenge.
The revised Buddy-Boot-Camp for year number 2:
- Diet: Buddy is still on Purina OM (overweight management) a high protein, low carbohydrate kibble. Buddy thought the raw food was quite uncivilized and would have none of it. That has not changed he still flicks it across the room with distain.
- Food dispenser: His meals continue to be served in the dispenser. He can empty one in no time flat, but it does involve batting and chasing and thus calorie burning.
- Exercise: He is now in much better shape which I must say is a bit of a problem. We keep up with his swimming in the summer months; routine on leash walks at the Airpark which does create a bit of a feline spectacle; Laps around Balanced Paws clinic either chasing Jack Russell Terriers (they are his favourite) or asking for free food. All in all much better stamina.
- Bathing: Initially Buddy got a bath every couple of weeks, really he was so stinky & dandruffy he was hard to have around. With his recent weight loss Buddy has taken over most of his cleaning & hygiene duties. He can now both see his feet and reach them to clean and he has discovered he has a tail. Still a bit tough getting to that lower back & bum area……
- L-Carnitine: L-Carnitine is an essential nutrient that transports fatty acids to the mitochondria (the power plant of the cell) where they are used for fuel. Studies have shown enhanced weight loss, reduced storage of body fat, increased energy and reduces the risk of fatty liver disease in obese cats (Buddy). AND its bacon flavoured, Buddy LOVES it.
We are now at the end of year 2 and Buddy weighs in at 19.6 pounds, still a substantial feline. From his initial measurements Buddy has lost 9 inches around his waist and a whopping 2 inches around his neck. Much like us the weight loss has tapered but Buddy is baby-stepping to a normal healthy feline mass.
As I mentioned his newfound agility is an issue as Buddy is a thief and a carbohydrate junky. He routinely steals sandwiches, cinnamon buns, opens cupboards & steals liver treats, all of which work against the diet.
Sigh, we love you Buddy but you are a work in progress.
For an integrated veterinary assessment call
Balanced Paws Veterinary Care at (250) 871-4355
or email info@balancedpawsvet.com.
We are located at 2785C Mansfield Drive in Courtenay (across from the Air Park).
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