Chubby cutie
EXPERT: DR ONG WEI JUN
BSc (UCDavis) BVM & S(Edin) MRCVS
Veterinary Surgeon at The Animal Ark Veterinary Group
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Q: My two-year-old spayed Jack Russell Terrier gobbles her food, so I feed her kibble with a slow feeder. She’s very energetic, is walked regularly, and eats just one cup of kibble a day (split into two feedings—day and night). However, her weight seems to be steadily increasing. She went from 4.8kg to 7.3kg in a year, and her waist is starting to disappear! What can I do to manage her weight?
A: First things first, look into your furkid’s diet: Are you feeding the right kind of diet to match her present stage of life? In other words, check if you’re feeding her to her daily caloric requirements. As dogs age, it is natural for their basal metabolic rate to decline, just like humans. Sterilised animals are also known to display lower energy levels, so that is another possible contributing factor to consider. Hence, it is important to feed a lower calorie diet—look out for kibbles with the words “weight management” on their labels.
Another factor to consider is whether your pooch’s diet is being supplemented with any other treats. Treats are not only very palatable, but also packed with calories, boosting her daily caloric intake. This is the clincher: If her daily caloric intake (daily energy consumed) is higher than her metabolic requirement, any excess calories are turned into fat, resulting in weight gain. If you’re unsure, your vet will be able to help you calculate her daily metabolic requirement.
The next thing to look at is her My two-year-old spayed Jack Russell Terrier gobbles her food, so I feed her kibble with a slow feeder. She’s very energetic, is walked regularly, and eats just one cup of kibble a day (split into two feedings—day and night). However, her weight seems to be steadily increasing. She went from 4.8kg to 7.3kg in a year, and her waist is starting to disappear! What can I do to manage her weight?chubby cutiedaily activity level. Is she maintaining a consistent level of activity? Another way to match her daily caloric intake is to increase her daily exercise. Try increasing the duration of your walks or runs—this will help burn off excess calories. Remember, if total caloric intake (what we eat) is less than energy output (energy expanded), you should see a gradual weight loss, and your dog should be on our way to finding her waistline again!
One more tip: Studies have also shown that increasing the number of meals in a day not only keeps a dog satiated, but also increases metabolic rate. So instead of splitting her daily feed into two meals, you might want to consider three different meals.
Of course, I recommend having a quick chat with your vet to rule out other causes for your dog’s weight gain. There are other common diseases that your attending vet might consider, such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s disease) or even osteoarthritis. While obesity is not an immediately life-threatening condition, it has proved to implicate a lot of other debilitating medical conditions. Good luck on her weight loss program, and cheers to a better figure!
