Who's the biggest loser? Who's the biggest loser? Yes you are! Yes you are!
Ahem. Sorry. Being that we all find obscenely overweight pets to be obscenely cute, it can be hard to admit that it's really not that healthy for a cat to weigh as much as a toddler. One organization, however, is taking a stand to educate people on the risks to hefty pets and what you can do to help your furry friend stay fit. Ever heard of the show "Celebrity Fit Club"? Well, imagine if all those celebrities were dogs and cats. What do you get? Pet Fit Club, of course.
Pet Fit Club is the brainchild of The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), a charity in the UK that provides free veterinary services to over 350,000 animals in need. The competition has been running for five years, Elaine Pendelbury, a Senior Veterinary Surgeon at PDSA, tells Paw Nation. "We usually take between eight to ten animals each year."
This year, the contestants are four corpulent cats and five dumpy dogs. Finding them was easy; the PDSA put out applications earlier this year, and it wasn't just restricted to PDSA members. "Anyone who had a pet that was overweight and they feel needed help could apply," Dr. Pendelbury says.
Pet Fit Club to Makeover Chubby Pets
Stop laughing. Ok you can laugh. Socrates, aka Socs, loves cheese and onion crisps, which is why he's 124 overweight! His target size is closer to 10 lbs. rather his 22 lbs. of chub.
PDSA
Oh lordy! Tara's owner was shocked when the PDSA vets told her Tara was twice as large and in charge as she should be. Tara weighs in at 91 lbs. -- 66 more than she should be.
PDSA
Sasha, the Staffordshire Bull terrier, is 22 lbs. overweight and it might have a little something to do with her love for ice cream, chocolate, and biscuits.
PDSA
Amber's mom, Penny, has tried to slim down this porker since she adopted her in March of this year. The tortie tips the scales at 16 lbs. She needs to shed 10 lbs.
PDSA
Sandy sure does hide his weight well. He's about 92 lbs. and needs to be closer to 66. No more meat dipped in jelly or chocolate (gasp!) chip cookies for big ol' Sandy.
PDSA
Bessie is the slimmest of the bunch, only 38 overweight, but her owner's sick of friends poking fun of her pooch. She'd like to get Bessie down to 44 lbs.
PDSA
Smoky's ten years old and and 9 lbs. overweight. To make sure this silver fox, er, hippo lasts another decade he needs to slim down from 20 lbs. to 11.
PDSA
Socrates isn't the only tuxedo who's having a hard time fitting in his suit. Chumlie Bear is 17.4 lbs. of cat. His owner is hoping to shed 8 lbs. off this big boy.
PDSA
The competition doesn't work exactly like a reality show; there are no "last chance workouts," no votes, no eliminations, no confessionals and no, it's not televised. Instead, the vets and owners make a concerted effort to get the pets healthy.
Dr. Pendelbury tells Paw Nation that each pet "has a diet and fitness program specially tailored for them by PDSA vets and nurses... We set an ultimate 'target weight', measure their waist and assess their Body Condition Score -- the three ways to measure success."
A commercial pet food manufacturer sponsors the food itself, but after that, it's up to the owners to make sure that their pets stick to the plan and don't sneak Lays potato chips on the side. After 100 days, the pet that has lost the largest percentage of weight is crowned the winner and given a lifetime supply of cat or dog food! Just kidding. Besides prestige and a brand-new beach body, the winning pet and owner get a four night "pet-friendly holiday at Woodland Cottages in Britain's North Devon," Dr. Pendelbury tells Paw Nation.
Of course, there are fat pets out there that don't have the luxury of entering a competition. But don't worry, Dr. Pendelbury has plenty of advice for getting your own pet in shape. First of all, if you have a cat, do it slow: "Fasting an obese cat can cause a condition called Feline Hepatic Lipidosis (FHL), which can be fatal."
Otherwise, it's just like losing weight for a human. "A balanced diet and exercise are the key things to keep pets in shape. If a pet is overweight, initially an owner should keep a food diary for a week to see how much they actually feed [their] pet and then consult their vet for advice," Dr. Pendelbury told Paw Nation. She also said that before you change anything about your pet's diet or exercise regimen, see your vet in case your little buddy has any other health problems.
And, of course, all you Jon Arbuckles out there should lay off the lasagna. "Owners should make sure that any treats are part of a pet's daily caloric intake -- or better still, don't feed any at all!" This will obviously lead to a bunch of grumpy cats and dogs, but don't worry. Once your pet can fit into those skinny jeans, they'll be happy.
The PDSA is able to continue offering its services through donations from pet-loving folks like you, so you can join in the fun and sponsor one or more of the contestants this year. Think of it as your very own pudgy and furry fantasy league.Sponsored Links
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I have 3 beautiful fat cats, actually 2 huge cats 1 fat cat. The huge cats are losing weight by eating wet food only 2 times per week and only a spoonful, (they were eating 1 can a day) that seems to have helped a lot. I keep dry food for "free feeding" they all seem to be in better shape and also seem to be running around more than usual. My manx Jack weighed in at 28 lbs. (he is now 23), and my tan tabby was 22, he is now 17 lbs. my little black girl only weighs 12 lbs, she only eats dry, no matter what i try to feed her (no fish, no tuna) only dry food. they are so great!!!!!!!! I love my cats, they are 15 yrs old and very healthy am proud to say!!!!
Onions are TOXIC for cats! Cats are even more sensitive to onions than dogs. Onion toxicity leads to haemolytic anaemia.
[From http://www.entirelypets.com/toxicfoods.html]
"Onions (and garlic) contain the toxic ingredient thiosulphate. Onions are more of a danger.
Pets affected by onion toxicity will develop haemolytic anaemia, where the pet’s red blood cells burst while circulating in its body. Symptoms include Hemolytic Anemia, labored breathing, liver damage, vomiting, diarrhea, discolored urine.
The poisoning occurs a few days after the pet has eaten the onion. All forms of onion can be a problem including dehydrated onions, raw onions, cooked onions and table scraps containing cooked onions and/or garlic. Left over pizza, Chinese dishes and commercial baby food containing onion, sometimes fed as a supplement to young pets, can cause illness."