Weight Loss Programs – Southside Veterinary Clinic

Did you know that being overweight puts your furry friend at risk for conditions such as arthritis, heart disease, diabetes and more? It also shortens their lifespan! Because you love your pet and want only the best for them, we want to guide and support you through a safe weight loss program.

Obesity in dogs and cats is not just a ‘cosmetic’ issue. Obesity is actually a chronic disease. Dogs and cats are classified as overweight when they exceed their ideal weight by just 10% and are classified as obese when they exceed their ideal weight by more than 20%.

We offer weight loss consultation, nutritional counseling, and regular weigh-ins and Body Condition Scoring (BCS) to ensure your pet is on the track to good health! We are passionate about helping pets succeed! We’ll teach you how to Body Condition Score (BCS) your pet so you can monitor at home. This helps get all family members involved! Click here to learn more about Body Condition Scoring your pets.

Did you know that losing as little as 6% of their body weight can result in an increase in activity levels, a decrease in pain, and an overall improvement in quality of life? On an average overweight cat, a 6% weight loss is less than half a pound. Every kibble counts! Overfeeding your cat by just 10 kibbles a day can result in a weight gain of 1 lb/year!

Check this Pet Weight Translator to see how being 1 lb overweight as a cat is equivalent to a human being 15+lbs overweight!

A case study: Molly, Yorkie Mix, 9 yrs old.

Molly is a sweet little dog who is currently on a weight loss program. Her owners showed their great love for Molly by treating her with table scraps and feeding as much food as she wanted to eat. At her heaviest weight, she was 7.72kg with a BCS of 8/9. (5/9 is ideal) Realizing that showing their love by overfeeding her was actually harming her, the owners now carefully measure out her food, feed a formula that is lower calorie and designed for safe weight loss, and are increasing her daily activity. She absolutely loves to go where her family does and thus doesn’t mind getting the extra activity! Her target weight will be somewhere between 3.5-4.5kg. Her family brings her in for a weigh-in/BCS every 2 weeks. At these no-charge, quick appointments, we can offer encouragement and troubleshoot any issues they are having. Here is a picture of Molly showing off some of her new curves!