Weight Loss / Management Information and Guidelines
Trophy Fat to Fit Club
Nearly half (48%) of all pet owners spoil their pets daily with extra snacks and human treats outside of their regular mealtimes, including chips, cheese, chocolate (which contains theobromine that can poison some pets), while a quarter also fail to give their pet regular exercise.
One in three dogs and one in five cats are overweight and vets say the problem is worse than many people think. Obesity is now one of the more common problems vets see and it causes so many difficulties in an animal's life. Sometimes there are medical reasons but often it is down to owners giving them too much food or well-meaning neighbours topping it up. Pet owners give treats but often don't count them towards a pet's daily diet, which they should. Exercise also has an important part to play. The last thing some people want to do when they get back home is to go and walk their dogs so they give them guilt treats. This is clearly not helping the situation. It sounds harsh, but we need to correct this behaviour.
As pet owners it is our responsibility to extend the same love and care to our pets as we do to ourselves. Exercise is a good way of bringing people and pets together. It is so rewarding to play with your pet or to walk your pet and you both get the exercise.
Overweight pets suffered from a number of complaints including heart disease, diabetes, increased surgical and anaesthetic risk and liver problems. It is estimated that approximately 40% of the UK pet population is obese. Obesity can also decrease your animal’s life span; your pet only has to be 15% over their normal body weight to be “clinically obese”.
For treatment of obesity - it is important to remember that a slow and gradual weight loss programme coupled with exercise will get the best results.
For the Diet
a. It is preferable to use a diet which has been purpose formulated for the purpose of weight loss. Simply cutting down the current diet is not ideal since you are restricting more than just calories – your pet will also receive fewer essential nutrients. Trophy Premium Lite is ideal for this purpose. Whilst feeding this food / obesity diet, you are providing your pet with a low energy food that provides all the essential nutrients required.
b. Your Trophy Nutritional Advisor can advise you on the amounts to feed. Bear in mind that individuals differ in their exact requirements; if progress is slow, the amount to feed may need to be modified. Remember – feed the allotted ration and NOTHING ELSE. Additional treats will slow down (or even stop) weight loss.
c. If your pet will not eat the diet, speak to Trophy Nutritional Advisor prior to making any changes. Do not just stop the diet.
d. Weight loss programmes are usually very successful if adhered to. However, weight loss is safest if done slowly. This will mean that the weight loss is likely to take a long time (many months), and that changes may be subtle in the first few weeks. Do not lose heart; if you persevere, the diet should succeed!
e. Losing the weight is only part of the battle. Once your pet has reached its target body weight, you will need to instigate measures (see above) to make certain that subsequent weight gain does not occur.
Changes in Lifestyle and exercise
f. Regular exercise is an essential component of any weight reduction regime.
g. Be careful not to force your pet to do too much exercise initially - start off very gradually and build slowly as their activity levels will be low. As your pet successfully starts to lose weight, their activity levels should noticeably increase.
h. It is important that the Trophy Premium Lite Diet be used with an individually designed weight loss programme along with behaviour modification and an exercise regime.
Ask your local Trophy Nutritional advisor about joining the new Trophy Fat to Fit Club run in your local area*. Here the dogs will be weighed, assessed and their fortnightly looses recorded. It will also be a great opportunity for like minded dog owners to meet up and discuss how they are doing! The club is free to join and attend; all that is asked is that the dog’s diet is changed to the Trophy Premium Lite Diet. Owners that are unable to attend the club can benefit from free home visits on an individual basis for assessment and weighing again on a fortnightly basis. Having taken advice from the national Trophy Nutritionist, the feeding amounts /guide will be individual to your dog’s needs, weight and age. Your local Trophy Nutritional Advisor will also advice you on treats, feeding amounts and exercise.
