Obesity management: how to start a plan and achieve successful weight loss

With Dr Maryanne Murphy DVM, PhD, DACVN

You assess the diet history of a 3-year-old MC domestic shorthair cat and find the cat is being fed 400 Calories per day from Best Food Manufacturer dry kibble. The cat weighs 9 kg and has a body condition of 9/9 and an estimated % body fat of 60%. What is this cat’s estimated ideal weight?

2 kg

3 kg

4.5 kg

6.75 kg

You assess the diet history of a 5-year-old FS Labrador retriever dog and find the dog has been free fed a dry food from an unknown manufacturer. The owner has no idea how much the dog eats daily but she does give a large volume of Good Doggy as treats. The dog weighs 45 kg and has a body condition of 9/9 and you estimate its ideal weight is 33.8 kg. What are your feeding recommendations for this dog’s weight loss program?

981 calories per day; 883 calories from the diet, 98 calories from treats

1057 calories per day; 898 calories from the diet, 159 calories from treats

1216 calories per day; 1095 calories from the diet, 121 calories from treats

1574 calories per day; 1260 calories from the diet, 314 calories from treats

Which of the following statements correctly describes AAFCO regulations for commercial diets designed to control body weight?

Over the counter “less” or “reduced calories” dry diets must contain < 3250 kcal/ ME/kg for cats and < 3100 kcal ME/kg for dogs

Over the counter “light”, “lite”, or “low calorie” diets must contain 25% less calories than the similar non-light diet in the product line.

Therapeutic weight loss diets must contain 15% less calories than over the counter diets

Therapeutic weight loss diets must list the caloric content and a nutritional adequacy statement, but do not have a minimum calorie requirement

A client is having trouble implementing the weight loss program you recommended because their dog is constantly stealing food from its housemate. Your feeding plan is based on 1.0 x ideal weight RER with 90% of calories provided from the diet and 10% provided by treats. What advice do you give this owner?

Advise them that dogs that steal food are less likely to lose weight and the weight loss program should be concluded

Increase the amount of treats being fed

Leave additional food out free choice so the dog can eat whenever it wants

Suggest changes in the feeing routine to include separate rooms, kennels or direct supervision

Which of the following statements is most correct regarding the use of exercise during weight loss programs?

Cats do best when only diet modification is used since adding an exercise component is too difficult for owners to follow and makes it more likely they will stop the weight loss plan

Dogs that walk approximately 4 km total per day can effectively lose weight while eating more calories than dogs that walk less

Exercise recommendations are more effective than a diet plan in morbidly obese dogs

Specific exercise routines have not been shown to improve the success of weight loss programs in companion animals