As March is Diabetes Month in the veterinary world, some of our thoughts go to methods of preventing Diabetes in our pets in the first place. Just as in humans, obesity happens in dogs and cats. The nice thing about dogs and cats is they can only eat what we feed them (or what they find in the garbage can, the yard, the woods, or under the baby's high chair). Before even weighing your pet, you can actually look at him or her and get a good sense of whether he or she is at the right weight. Dog and Cat Body Condition Scoring System Ellyce Rothrock, courtesy of Dogchannel.com 1. Very Thin Ribs: Easily felt with no fat cover. Tail Base: Bones are raised with no tissue between the skin and bone. Side View: Severe abdominal tuck. Overhead View: Accentuated hourglass shape. 2. Underweight Ribs: Easily felt with little fat cover. Tail Base: Bones are raised with minimal tissue between the skin and bone. Side View: Abdominal tuck. Overhead View: Marked hour-glass shape. 3. Ideal Ribs: Easily felt with slight fat cover. Tail Base: Smooth contour, but bones can be felt under a thin layer of fat. Side View: Abdominal tuck Overhead View: Well-proportioned lumbar waist. 4. Overweight Ribs: Difficult to feel with moderate fat cover. Tail Base: Some thickening, but bones can be felt under a moderate layer of fat. Side View; No abdominal tuck or waist. Overhead View: Back is slightly broadened. 5. Obese Ribs: Difficult to feel under thick fat cover. Tail Base: Thickened and difficult to feel under a prominent layer of fat. Side View: Fat hangs from the abdominal and there is no waist. Overhead View: Markedly broadened. Take a peak at www.oocities.com/fatdogsite/images/FatBCS-2008.png  Another wonderful way to learn about pet weight control (or weight loss, if needed) is a great site put together by Purina (maker of over-the-counter pet foods and Purina Veterinary diets) called Project Pet SlimDown . This is a great site full of videos of dogs and their people going through weight loss strategies together. The site also provides body condition scoring images and programs to help your pet lose weight and keep track of progress. |
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Does your pouty pooch ever look up at you with those big brown eyes, drawing all of your love from deep within you, so that you HAVE to give him a treat? Do you fall for it? Now that the winter holidays are in full swing we need to be extra careful of everything that our pets sample. Every rich snack that Rover receives is another opportunity for pancreatitis. The pancreas is a glandular organ involved in digestion of proteins and fats. Whenever a meal is ingested, the pancreas secretes enzymes to help break down the components of the food into smaller molecules. If the meal is rich and fatty, it triggers the pancreas to secrete more enzymes, and sometimes it goes into overdrive, even to the degree of causing a nasty cycle of self-digestion. This inflamation of the pancreas that results (a.k.a. pancreatitis) can cause severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and inappetance. What results is often a severely dehydrated dog (or cat) whose life could be in danger. Treatment involves intravenous fluids and medications, and often an extended hospital stay. So PLEASE, when Fido floods you with affection, return the love with hugs and attention, and, if a treat MUST be given, make it a nonfatty veggie instead (please remember, no onions, grapes, or raisins!) |
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To further quench your thirst for accurate veterinary information, please check out some of these links (we will add more over time): |
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