Ask a Vet: Improving Your Pet’s Health: How to Eliminate Pet Obesity
April 7th, 2008 by Dr. Donna SpectorWe love our pudgy, fat cats and dogs, but couch-potato pets may be paying a price. Pet Obesity is associated with diabetes in dogs and cats, arthritis, heart disease and more. So how can we help? Get your pet a full, medical checkup and talk to your veterinarian about a nutrition plan. Halo® pet food can help to keep your pets lean and healthy. Pay attention to how much and how often you’re feeding your pet. And most importantly, exercise! Physical activity helps your pets just as much as it helps you, so get moving!
Dr. Donna Spector , DVM, DACVIM
Dr. Donna Spector is a board-certified veterinary internist who practices in New York City. She has written and lectured extensively on nutrition, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders and other animal health issues.
Do you need vet advice? Post a comment with your veterinary questions and we will send them to Dr. Donna Spector to be answered in a future column.
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June 25th, 2008 at 8:14 am
I work in at Bark&Fitz here in Canada and we carry Halo products – my own dog has a weight issue and I would like to know the calorie count on both Halo dry & canned food…
Thanks
Shelly
August 28th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
If I had to vote your site would probably win when I compare to the other ones on the same subjet I just visited. Most were poorly writen and not much info on them. Keep up the good work buddy
February 3rd, 2010 at 12:09 am
Hi Dr. Spector
Last spring, my dog Jet was having to urinate all the time. I took him to the vet who thought it was infection. He went on different antibiotics, which I can’t remember by name because nothing he tried seemed to make him better. Finally he did a surgery to see if he had kidney stones, he didn’t but when they did some extra blood work, they said Jet had diabetis. They also sent off a urine culture to see what grew in it and to see what antibiotic would work. Nothing showed up in the urine culture. He is on insilun twice a day but still can’t control his bladder, do you have any ideas of anything else that could be wrong. He was neutered when he was a pup.
Thanks,
Lois
February 11th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
Hi Lois,
Sounds like Jet has had quite a history! I recommend contacting your veterinarian and discussing some of these possibilities as a reason for Jet’s excessive urination:
Poorly controlled diabetes (he may need more/less insulin to get it under better control)
Kidney issues
High blood pressure (common in diabetic dogs)
Another endocrine problem (for example, Cushings disease)
There are other possibilities but these would be the most likely.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Dr. Donna Spector