Maintaining and loosing weight are as important to our pets as they are for us.

All pets benefit from maintaining a healthy weight, as determined by a chart which is adapted to each animal.

Animals which have a healthy weight will be more lively, have healthier articulation and respiratory systems, a nicer coat and a better regulated body temperature.

If our animal is over its ideal health weight, it will be more prone to diabetes, urinary problems, skin infections, hepatic problems and cancer. It could even cause problems for your veterinarian when your pet is anesthetized.

Everybody hopes to give their pet an ideal life but it is by keeping it slim that you can best achieve this. Our team has set up a weight loss program which is designed to help you if your cat is in need. The key elements of this program are nutrition, exercise and health care.

For nutrition, many diets are especially designed for weight loss while others are for long-term weight maintenance. Certain diets are richer in fibres while others are richer in proteins and lower in carbohydrates. Each animal has specific needs and may respond better to one diet rather than another. The choice of diet should be made with a member of our team who will be able to offer you assistance and guidance.

For exercise, there are many ways to make our animals move. One way is to find a game which will stimulate our pet. For cats, we should use toys of various textures and colours as well as noisy toys, lights or laser beams to make them run. Certain cats are more interested in furry toys while others love feather toys and yet others will react best when toys remind them of moving insects. For dogs, we can take them on long walks, play hide-and-seek, swim and fetch a ball, a stick or other toys. For both for dogs and cats, start the activity slowly to avoid the risk of injuries.

For health care, it is important to note that pets must lose weight gradually to avoid health problems. Cats must lose 15% of their body weight in 18 to 20 weeks. Dogs should do so in 12 to 14 weeks. It is important to have a once a  month follow-up with a Health Technician in order to note improvements, adjust the quantity of food or the diet and suggest new tricks.

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