Did you know that cat obesity can be seen in different rates across the world?
New Zealand = 23.5%
Turkey = 33.12%
Japan = 56%
UK = 11.5%
Check out these facts below on what obesity is, how a body condition score chart can help and how it can affect your cat…
Obesity means that your cat is 30% over its ideal body weight, which is different for each and every cat.
A body condition score is a guideline way of assessing whether an animal is an ideal weight, underweight and overweight. A body condition score is used instead of body weight as one weight cannot be correct for all cats, as every cat is unique, and they have a different body composition.
At the bottom of the blog is a body condition score chart for cats. Can you tell what your cats body condition score is just from these charts? Probably not! Has your cat got a primordial pouch (the excess skin on the belly), is he/she older or a different breed? It is hard to tell isn’t it?
Now let us talk about what can happen if your cat is obese. Did you know that obesity can lead to osteoarthritis? Well yes it can, due to the additional weight putting excess load through the joints. Also, adipose fats can also lead to systemic inflammation! How about diabetes? It does also affect cats, in a similar way that it affects us humans. It is approximated that 1 in every 200 cats in England have diabetes mellitus.
To name but a few other issues that obesity can create:
- Respiratory issues and asthma
- Cardiac conditions and hypertension
- Pancreatitis
- Atopic dermatitis
- Gastrointestinal issues
- Urinary tract issues
So, what should you do if you think your cat is overweight? Putting our cats on a diet may seem easy, but it is not. The best way to go about it is by seeing a veterinary nurse, they will be able to help create a specialised diet in which will be measured precisely for your cat’s ideal body weight.
At Stafford Veterinary Physiotherapy we work with veterinary nurses to help your animals get to this ideal weight - by providing you with exercises as well as support.
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