UrbanAnimal

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Dear UrbanAnimal,

My 12-year-old Labrador retriever, Ace, is, shall we say, rotund? He currently weighs 95 pounds and my vet has told me he should lose at least 10 pounds to help avoid health problems related to obesity. I agree but Ace is a picky eater and I'm having trouble enticing him to eat the recommended veterinary diet (kibble and canned). Ace is becoming depressed, too, because I've stopped giving him his favourite treats. I'm dedicated to helping him shed pounds but it's a battle. Any suggestions?

Laurie

Dear Laurie,

It's great that your vet has alerted you to the health risks associated with obesity and has suggested a new diet, which probably includes higher fibre to help fill Ace's tummy and stave off hunger pangs. However, with dogs (and it's the same for many humans) physical hunger isn't the sole reason why they become voracious foodies, especially as they age.

At 12, Ace is a senior and I'm betting he prefers to watch squirrels rather than chase them. His world has decreased a little as each year goes by and, just like humans who are slowing down, meal times and snacks take on an even greater importance.

So over the years, Ace's food intake has remained the same while his physical activity waned. Calorie input was constant while output declined. With all the diet books currently on the market for us humans, the truth about weight loss is, according to my own medical doctor, a simple case of "Eat less and exercise more."

The same holds true for animals.

Unfortunately, your sentient creature can't grasp the idea that your tough love mode is meant to help him live a longer, healthier life. The sad eyes and floppy ears are a heartbreaker, of course, hence your current battle status. Your mission, then, is to help Ace to lose weight while meeting his nutritional needs, increase exercise sessions to aid in the project and, somewhere in the middle, keep him (and yourself) from becoming depressed in the process. Here are some ideas that might help.

Your vet has suggested a prescription diet and I'm sure he or she has advised you to add the new food gradually in order to avoid tummy upsets.

Many pet food manufacturers advise that food changeovers should be done gradually over a few days with new food mixed into old food at a ratio of about 50:50 on the first day and slowly increasing the new (and decreasing the old) until a complete switch has been made. You can entice Ace by adding a few bits of his favourite low-fat treats such as lean meat, vegetables or fruit.

Speaking of treats, your veterinarian may carry a line of dog cookies that are similar to the prescription diet foods.

They're low in fat, high in fibre and tasty enough to keep Ace from thinking his world is coming to an end.

You can also buy "diet" treats for dogs at most pet supply stores. Ask your vet and pet supply store employees for suggestions. With my own dogs, I find that it's not so much the treat itself that's important but rather the fact that something is going into their mouths.

Try substituting food treats for a favourite toy or, failing that, cut the treat in half or offer a few pieces of kibble. If Max enjoys fruit and vegetables, you're in luck.

Many people find that their dogs snack happily on plain raw carrots, apples, broccoli and green beans.

You may notice that Ace's weight loss is frustratingly slow, just as it can be for us humans. When my 10-year-old retriever was on a diet, my vet advised against weight checks until a few weeks had passed. When I weighed her at the four-week point, she had lost only one pound but then continued on a steady course of one pound lost per week.

It was a gradual weight loss that didn't leave my dog feeling deprived. I increased her exercise schedule in similarly small increments during her diet and, like magic, the pounds melted away slowly but surely. You and Ace don't need to come to loggerheads - just take it slowly, one day at a time.

When my dog had lost eight pounds, I became aware of a "lump" near her ribs and hurried her to my veterinarian for a checkup. When my vet examined the lump in question, she laughed: "That's part of her rib cage, you just haven't felt it in a long time."

 

E-mail jacque-newman@rogers.com with a question, comment or suggestion.