Dogs, Cats and Other People: Diet Matters
By Matthew 'Uncle Matty' Margolis
Diet is in the news. With the enormous Menu Foods recall, dog and cat owners are rightfully on edge. Rat poison ingredients in pet food? How does that happen?
However it happened, it is an anomaly. Make sure what you're feeding your pet isn't on the recall list, www.menufoods.com/recall or 1-866-895-2708, and pay special attention to his behavior and health if there's any possibility that his food was contaminated. A trip to the vet may be an added expense, but it could also save your pet's life and put your mind at ease if there is any cause for concern.
Really, though, we should always pay careful attention to what and how much we give our pets to eat. Poisoned food is uncommon. Too much food is too common and just as likely to lead to health problems.
In January, the FDA approved the first drug to treat canine obesity: Slentrol.
According to 2002 data from the American Veterinary Medical Association, 40 percent of dogs in the United States are either overweight or obese. Slentrol, administered orally, acts as an appetite suppressant, thereby reducing food intake. Developed by Pfizer, the drug will be available for the first time this spring and is marketed toward dog owners who are frustrated by a lack of time to exercise their dog, as well as an inability to restrict food and treats.
"Lack of time" is a solvable problem: reschedule, rearrange, get up earlier, stay up later, hire or enlist help, barter with neighbors, get creative.
"Inability to restrict food," while also solvable, is less practical and more emotional. Food equals love in this case. It goes down like TLC. We give ourselves food to feel better in the moment, instead of exercise to feel better in the long-term.
There's a situation pending in Polk County, North Carolina, where Department of Child Services has given a woman an ultimatum to produce a reduction in her child's weight, or they may remove him from her care. His name is Justin. He weighs 254 pounds. He's 7. Watching the interview on CNN, it isn't hard to figure out where he gets it. Obese child, obese parent.
Whether the cause of Justin's obesity is genetics, diet, lifestyle or some combination of the three isn't for me to determine. But when it comes to the cause of canine obesity, I don't hesitate to say it boils down to diet and exercise.
It's up to you to keep your pooch trim and healthy and happy. To do so, consider your dog's breed and overall energy level.
Some dogs bask in the sun, not moving for hours. Some curl up at your feet while you read "War and Peace" in one sitting. These dogs don't require a lot of food and won't burn off excess calories.
Then there are those who run laps in the back yard. They chase birds and bark at butterflies. They swim after sticks and dogpaddle them back to land for another go at it; tear after balls and race them back to you, over and over, for hours and hours on end. They eat more because they burn more. They're high energy and require a lot of exercise.
This is where the law of "calories in, calories out" kicks in. Even active dogs plump up if calorie intake exceeds calories burned. Then exercise becomes difficult, play becomes work. If this keeps up, your active dog will no longer enjoy being active. How sad.
But even worse, remember that annoying adage: A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips? A dog's hips are susceptible to arthritis. Obesity in dogs is associated with an increased risk in serious conditions like arthritis, heart disease, respiratory conditions and cancer.
Slentrol, miracle it may seem, is likely just the smoke and mirrors that create even more and worse problems. The most common side effect of Slentrol is vomiting. Other effects I'm sure your dog will enjoy include diarrhea, lethargy and anorexia -- no wonder the weight comes off.
We share a lot in common with our canine counterparts. Just like us, diet pills don't work. Just like us, they need to be active in order to keep the weight off and the blues away. Just like us, they need regular exercise and a healthy diet to live long and well.
My advice: Stick with diet and exercise to control weight. Side effects include a happy, healthy friendship for many years to come.
Woof!
By Matthew 'Uncle Matty' Margolis
Diet is in the news. With the enormous Menu Foods recall, dog and cat owners are rightfully on edge. Rat poison ingredients in pet food? How does that happen?
However it happened, it is an anomaly. Make sure what you're feeding your pet isn't on the recall list, www.menufoods.com/recall or 1-866-895-2708, and pay special attention to his behavior and health if there's any possibility that his food was contaminated. A trip to the vet may be an added expense, but it could also save your pet's life and put your mind at ease if there is any cause for concern.
Really, though, we should always pay careful attention to what and how much we give our pets to eat. Poisoned food is uncommon. Too much food is too common and just as likely to lead to health problems.
In January, the FDA approved the first drug to treat canine obesity: Slentrol.
According to 2002 data from the American Veterinary Medical Association, 40 percent of dogs in the United States are either overweight or obese. Slentrol, administered orally, acts as an appetite suppressant, thereby reducing food intake. Developed by Pfizer, the drug will be available for the first time this spring and is marketed toward dog owners who are frustrated by a lack of time to exercise their dog, as well as an inability to restrict food and treats.
"Lack of time" is a solvable problem: reschedule, rearrange, get up earlier, stay up later, hire or enlist help, barter with neighbors, get creative.
"Inability to restrict food," while also solvable, is less practical and more emotional. Food equals love in this case. It goes down like TLC. We give ourselves food to feel better in the moment, instead of exercise to feel better in the long-term.
There's a situation pending in Polk County, North Carolina, where Department of Child Services has given a woman an ultimatum to produce a reduction in her child's weight, or they may remove him from her care. His name is Justin. He weighs 254 pounds. He's 7. Watching the interview on CNN, it isn't hard to figure out where he gets it. Obese child, obese parent.
Whether the cause of Justin's obesity is genetics, diet, lifestyle or some combination of the three isn't for me to determine. But when it comes to the cause of canine obesity, I don't hesitate to say it boils down to diet and exercise.
It's up to you to keep your pooch trim and healthy and happy. To do so, consider your dog's breed and overall energy level.
Some dogs bask in the sun, not moving for hours. Some curl up at your feet while you read "War and Peace" in one sitting. These dogs don't require a lot of food and won't burn off excess calories.
Then there are those who run laps in the back yard. They chase birds and bark at butterflies. They swim after sticks and dogpaddle them back to land for another go at it; tear after balls and race them back to you, over and over, for hours and hours on end. They eat more because they burn more. They're high energy and require a lot of exercise.
This is where the law of "calories in, calories out" kicks in. Even active dogs plump up if calorie intake exceeds calories burned. Then exercise becomes difficult, play becomes work. If this keeps up, your active dog will no longer enjoy being active. How sad.
But even worse, remember that annoying adage: A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips? A dog's hips are susceptible to arthritis. Obesity in dogs is associated with an increased risk in serious conditions like arthritis, heart disease, respiratory conditions and cancer.
Slentrol, miracle it may seem, is likely just the smoke and mirrors that create even more and worse problems. The most common side effect of Slentrol is vomiting. Other effects I'm sure your dog will enjoy include diarrhea, lethargy and anorexia -- no wonder the weight comes off.
We share a lot in common with our canine counterparts. Just like us, diet pills don't work. Just like us, they need to be active in order to keep the weight off and the blues away. Just like us, they need regular exercise and a healthy diet to live long and well.
My advice: Stick with diet and exercise to control weight. Side effects include a happy, healthy friendship for many years to come.
Woof!