Banfield® Pet Hospital has again shared information from their internal data this year on the importance of weight management in pets as it relates to osteoarthritis. The entire veterinary industry continues to benefit from a better understanding of clients, pets and prevalence of conditions.
Thank you Banfield!
Excess weight in pets is a growing problem (no pun intended). There are challenges that can be addressed by veterinary professionals and pet owners. The 2020 Report gives us plenty of reasons to assertively engage pet owners about nutrition and exercise. Treats and chews are a caloric intake element that was not presented quantitatively, however.
A recent semi-annual exam with our veterinarian for our Morkie, Bozlee, underscores the importance of identifying calories from treats. Bozlee was 3 pounds overweight at 19 pounds compared to the target weight of 16 pounds. The veterinarian asked about his kibble, feeding schedule and the volume of kibble fed daily. The doctor recommended we increase activity and limit total Kcals to 290 Kcals per day. Easy, right? Upon examining the Kcals in Bozlee’s diet, we were overfeeding him by less than 7 percent. I was pleased until I grabbed a dental chew for him, read the label and discovered another 15 percent more Kcals from the treats.
Treats, chews and some table scraps add significant caloric intake that adds to excess weight in pets.”
Source: Banfield 2020 Veterinary Emerging Topics (VET)® Report, January 2020. Overview Link. To download the entire report, use this Link.
INSIGHTS: Sales of pet treats have outpaced dog and cat food over the last five years, with treats sales increasing by 29 percent between 2012-17 < link >. Market research firm Packaged Facts estimated that U.S. retail sales of pet treats will hit $6.7 billion in 2019, a 3 percent year-over-year rise < link >.
Also see: Pet food and health: The veterinary angle, Packaged Facts, January 9, 2020. Link.
Kudos goes to our local veterinary team for listing things to bring with us for the examination. We got the list in a reminder email and it was shared during the reminder call, too. It included: fecal sample, list of behavior issues if any, daily care schedule, name of groomer and boarding kennel, name of dog food being fed.