Pet Ideal Weight and Preventative Breed Specific Nutrition

With winter ice & snow here (making exercising our pets difficult) and the holidays past (extra treats are the biggest reason pets gain weight too!) NOW is the time to talk about Ideal Weight in pets.

Unless steps are taken now we are going to see many pets get more overweight before spring comes. Calorie counting & a good exercise program are very important throughout a pet’s life (especially during our cold snowy winters here in Wisconsin) no matter what breed we are referring to.

That said if you happen to have any of these breeds or you have rescued a mixed breed that has a large percentage of one of these breeds it is even more important.

Labrador, Golden Retriever, Beagle, Pug, Scottish, Yorkshire or Rat Terrier, St Bernard, Bichon, Bulldog, Boston Terrier, Corgi, Basset Hound, Dachshund, Dalmatian, Newfoundland, Cocker Spaniel, Chihuahua or a “designer breed” (Puggles, Labradoodles, Golden doodles, etc)

1) Why do we need to “go there”?

A groundbreaking study done in 2002 (using Labradors) showed a literal guarantee that if a pet is their ideal weight from birth through their whole life they will live an AVERAGE of 15% longer and feel better... That’s why…This would mean over 2 years for a Labrador retriever and even longer in a smaller breed! I have met very few clients in my past 25 yrs of practice that didn’t want more healthy years for their pet.

The other reason it is preventative care is the best care. The myriad of diseases that are caused or exacerbated by pets being overweight is constantly growing. With the rising cost of pet care (just like human health care) preventing disease is vital in these economic times. I frequently tell clients that keeping their pet at their ideal healthy weight is the best health insurance plan they can invest in.

Less veterinary bills, less drug bills for diseases like osteoarthritis and less dog food cost are all pretty much guaranteed! With diabetes, osteoarthritis, cancer and an even urinary & skin disease now linked to pets being overweight a preventative ideal weight approach prevents disease and saves money, period.

A good friend Dr Dave Brunson DVM, ACVA, a board certified veterinary anesthesiologist has voiced another very valid concern. He first "walked the talk" by getting the weight off his own pet Pearl, a Beagle AND a Katrina survivor (talk about easy to "emotionally feed") and who now speaks nationally about how important it is to keep pets lean for safe anesthesia. With dental cleaning required in all pets it is not a matter of IF they need anesthesia to prevent dental problems it is a matter of WHEN making ideal weight throughout life safer with regard to necessary to routine procedures like dentistry too.

Here is a good video link to “start the conversation” especially when it is imperative that all household members be on the same page.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/34204934#34204934


2) How does a pet owner know if their pet is over their “Ideal Healthy Weight”?

Dr Kathryn Michels DVM, MS Dipl ACVN, a board certified veterinary nutritionist recently stated in Veterinary Practice News “There is a skewed difference between owners and vets on what a healthy weight is” I agree, and the time is now to have a good definition.

With over 200 different breeds (from pugs to Great Danes!) there is no good Body Mass Index (BMI) like in people because of the incredible variation. There is however Purina has developed a good 9 point body condition score (BCS) and Hills has one from 1 to 5. These are great tools that we use as veterinarians and of course a reliable scale is needed keep track numerically. We often use a pet’s weight at 1 yr of age as their ideal healthy weight.

A very simple and effective tool to determine if a pet’s weight has reached ideal weight is one Dr Michels recently described when she spoke to area veterinarians. She advised us that a pet’s ribs (just behind their shoulder) should feel just like your fingers below the knuckles when you make a fist (pronounced ridges & valleys) NOT like the skin above the knuckles where you can’t feel any ridges or valleys. This works for all breeds and is a great way to know if we “are there yet!”

If your pet is 20% over ideal weight or has any health issues an assessment by your veterinarian is needed complete with blood work, nutritional consultation and an ideal weight guess…. but be prepared…It will probably be lower than you expect …but it is very important that an accurate assessment be made for your pet’s behalf.

3) Are just a few pounds overweight a big deal?

We know that fat is metabolically active and produces inflammatory and disease causing compounds (see below) so yes even 2 to 3 pounds is detrimental to health. Further the 15% longer life benefit applies if dogs are their ideal weight their entire life so let’s accomplish this by starting now!!

In small breeds like pugs (and I am not picking on them… they are a great breed!) where a pug comes in for its 2 year annual wellness exam weighing 15 lbs. (and its ideal weight is 12 lbs) it is already 25% over its ideal weight. It is very challenging to keep small breeds less than 20lbs because they need so few calories and today’s foods and treats are so calorie rich. So just like dentistry, ideal weight can be breed specific and we will spend much more time discussing it at an early age to prevent problems in many smaller breeds and certain larger breeds like labs & goldens.

Update: I was asked recently to speak at the Milwaukee Pugfest to discuss breed specific preventative nutrition. It will be great to hear from all of those owners (dedicated pet owners who do their own research always teach me something new!) I hope to be a pug nutritional specialist after May 16th!

http://www.milwaukeepugfest.com/

In the United States, over 40% of pets are considered obese and many more than that are over their ideal weight with certain breeds being overrepresented it is very important that we take a close look at how to prevent this before it occurs.

4) What is the most effective to way to get weight off if they are already overweight?

Ah, down to the nitty, gritty of it once the deed is done! It is not rocket science but it is not easy, either because of the emotional attachment we have to our pets and to food in general! There is actually no great secret of how to get weight loss accomplished. It is simply good evidence based education & a firm owner commitment to carry it out (despite those pleading eyes!). Knowing how many calories in each cup of food and especially measuring at every meal time & keeping track of treats are key to any program.

We realize there is a strong emotional bond and that many people show their love to their pet during the feeding process. We know that we have to work with pet owners to find ways to augment that interaction to include the right number of calories.

Some great tools can be found at American Association for Pet Obesity Prevention

We have outlined some important concepts gleaned from working with pet owners on our website as well

http://www.westsidefamilypet.com/nutrition-introduction/ideal-weight/

5) Calorie counting or exercise … which is more important?

There is still some confusion out there even among my veterinary colleagues about whether calorie reduction or exercise is more effective. I recently moderated 3 days of veterinary lectures at our state veterinary conference where at two of the sessions two different board certified veterinarians (one an endocrinologist and the other a boarded nutritionist) each told the audiences that they hadn’t had much luck in dieting pets using caloric restriction alone. My staff and I almost fell out of our chairs. Our experience has been quite different!.

With a fitness center as part of our pet health care center it would be tempting for me to give every pet a “Fitness Rx” (and we do for some) but it just isn’t practical or economically feasible for every pet owner. I personally am an outdoor athlete and would always prefer to exercise any personal pet in the woods or fields of our beautiful state. So exercise is important part but I personally feel counting calories is key.

A personalized program outlined by your veterinarian following your pet’s annual wellness exam is the best place to start.

6. What is the cutting edge of preventative ideal weight pet nutrition?

Credit where credit belongs to Gail, Kealy et al who did the study showing lean dogs live an average of 15% longer. The study was done in 2002 at Purina’s research facility using Labradors but by totally independent outside researchers and is one of the most respected and longest running nutritional study ever done in dogs (It took 14 years!)

http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/article.php?id=144

The short version is that fat is not the inert substance we once thought but more a very active endocrine organ. Producing and interacting with many other hormones in the body. The most destructive products they produce are a group of chemicals called cytokines which can be inflammatory mediator which makes inflammation elsewhere in the body worse it these cytokines or adipocytokines makes it worse for example in osteoarthritis.

http://www.michvma.org/documents/MVC%20Proceedings%202009/Schickel,%20%20Weight%20loss%20proceedings.pdf

Royal Canin ® has formulated some breed specific diets’ Dr Brent Mayabb, technical services director for Royal Canin states about Labradors “This breed is predisposed to excessive weight gain because it was bred to have a layer of fat insulation as a dog trained to retrieve game from water” Quite interesting (although not an excuse!) and may explain why they are so challenging! For the record I am not as convinced regarding some of their claims that their foods prevent plaque and tartar as they have not obtained the vohc seal of acceptance to back up their claims regarding preventing dental products. I am all for a similar program that would prove a food would help maintain an ideal weight for each breed.

http://www.royalcanin.co.uk/my_pet/dog_products/breed_health_nutrition/labrador_retriever.aspx

As part of their new DNA test the Wisdom Panel Professional ® is now predicting ideal weights based on a dogs DNA. This is the most comprehensive DNA test on the market, requires a blood test and detects over 200 breeds. The concept of predicting an ideal weight range is a great concept which should help “plant the seed early about the importance of ideal weight for mixed breeds too.

http://www.wisdompanelpro.com/

What about cats? Cats present a further challenge. Just how do you exercise a cat? The indoor cat initiative by Dr Tony Buffington is brilliant but we still have to count calories big time. I can tell you it isn’t easy as one of my cats (sorry Lance buddy, have to call you out) would love to weigh 15lbs. (His ideal healthy weight is 10#) more on cat challenges in coming weeks. .Here is one of my favorite nutrition sites for cats & dogs.

http://vet.osu.edu/index.php?id=1846

We already know we can treat and prevent disease with food so breed specific prevention using food is pretty compelling. My feeling is that if done with an evidence based approach it could revolutionize the pet food industry. We know the pet food industry is way prone to over marketing so evidence based nutrition is mandatory.

I will be devoting more time to these and other specific challenges weekly in our clinic website’s nutrition section as we ramp up towards our 3rd Ideal Weight Contest and 2nd annual "Pets Reducing for Rescues" Ideal Weight contest with proceeds from every pound lost donated to contestants favorite rescue.

Contest kicks off this Sat Jan 16th from 12 to 2PM at our Preventative Nutrition (Ideal Weight & supplements) Open House.
“Iron Dogs”(just 5 to 20% over ideal), “Biggest 4 Pawed Losers” (20% or more over ideal) and “Fat Cats” and "Iron Cats" (most cats do “virtual weigh-ins”) are all part of the fun.

Good luck with your efforts getting your pets to ideal weight!

Dr Ken

Join our FB fan page at Facebook.com/westsidefamilypet to see previous contestants from 2008 & 2009 and some great pictures of clients who got the job done! New contestants for 2010 will be posted this week.

Dentistry Pearls from the AVDS Forum including breed specific dentistry Oct 2009

By Dr Ken Lambrecht

I have just been back for just less than a month from the American Veterinary Dental Society’s annual forum and wanted to share some pearls that can help your 4 legged friends have better breath, prevent pain, tooth loss and even prevent generalized disease.

This annual 3 day conference was held this year in Phoenix (the weather WAS AWESOME especially compared to Madison's cold rainy fall) but even so I went to 90% of the lectures proving I am a true dentistry geek! Seriously, the best & the brightest in dentistry convene and they let practitioners like me listen to their brilliance! I have attended this conference since its inception in 1986 and in the past 5 years have taken staff Drs & my CVT’s as well. It never disappoints. Here are some pearls I brought back!

1) Breed specific dentistry is becoming much more advanced and now that rescues, “designer” and mixed breeds are more prevalent it is important to know the genetic background so that we can be more proactive as to what dental conditions a pet might be “at risk” for.

WFPC has practiced breed specific dentistry for over 5 years (the following breeds need a different dental prevention and treatment focus)

Here is what we typically watch for in each of these breeds.

1) Retrievers = chipped teeth and discolored teeth
2) Pugs, Bostons, Boxers, Shitzus, Lhasas, Bull dogs = missing teeth, crowded, partially erupted canine teeth, deciduous canine teeth
3) Yorkshire terriers, Miniature poodles, Chihuahuas and many other toy breeds = retained deciduous (baby) teeth, missing teeth, un-erupted teeth
4) All small dogs less than 20 lbs = prone to periodontitis & teeth loss because of very thin amount of bone around each tooth
5) Greyhounds = genetically prone to periodontitis

This is a very partial list and one that is rapidly expanding. It makes me believe that if we knew from an accurate DNA genetic test (Wisdom Panel) that a dog had greyhound DNA whether an aggressive home care program could help counteract their tendency towards severe periodontitis and tooth loss?

2) Home care pearls for all dogs

A comprehensive personalized home care plan can provide you with many tools to help prevent too frequent dental cleanings. The question becomes which are going to be easily accomplished and the most effective?

See veterinary oral health council (VOHC) for complete list of validated products that have proven effective. My advice is choose which ones work best for you and your pet and can be done routinely.

My historical favorites are:

1) Periodontal vaccine (helps prevent bone loss)
2) VOHC approved foods (best compliance)
3) Oravet ® barrier sealant (effective & easy)
4) Evidence based tooth brushing pastes & rinses (most effective)
5) Treated rawhide chews like CET Chews ® (easy)

Now a new product that looks to have great promise in small dogs & cats is the evidence based water additive called Healthymouth ® the first water product to get the VOHC seal of approval.

Fish oils were discussed in two separate lectures (particularly EPA) as up & coming treatment in humans to treat severe periodontitis both in food and topically. Any of you who know our style of practice at Westside Family Pet know that we are huge proponents of high levels of EPA/DHA for many organs and have often discussed the possibility that they would benefit the mouth too. It seems that proof may be on the way! Stay tuned!

3) There are 10 Vital Steps to Good Pet Dental Care

(Complete explanation at westsidefamilypet.com)

Proper care of your pets teeth really boils down to making sure your pets dental program includes all of these 10 vital steps

1. Is comprehensive and follows established guidelines within the veterinary profession (AAHA & AVDC) Dentistry Guidelines have been established by the American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC) and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) since 2005.

Link to AAHA Dental Care Guidelines
Link to American Veterinary Dental College AVDC

2. Includes dental x-rays in all pets.
3. Preemptively addresses concerns about pain
4. Takes into account breed specific conditions.
5. Completely addresses home care & a strong preventative approach.
6. Is cost effective in these tough economic times
7. Detects “surprises” to possibly avoid an additional anesthetic episode.
8. Includes special training & equipment to perform additional procedures identified after cleaning & dental x-rays performed
9. Addresses anesthetic risks & concerns completely
10. Includes referral to a dental specialist or telemedicine consult if needed/desired

Not all pet dental health care is equal. We need to keep evidence based information at the top of all our pet dental care recommendations. Make sure your veterinarian is doing all of these things especially in the high risk dogs listed in my breed specific section. Saving teeth, preventing infection pain and additional cost will all be likely outcomes!

Further reading at Link to Pet Dentistry Library

We hope you find this useful for your pet’s dental health!

Feel free to ask any questions you have. If I can't answer it I will gladly refer you to a dentistry oriented colleague who can!

Dr Ken Lambrecht

Treating & Preventing Disease with Nutrition

Evidence based nutrition & supplements: Which products have the ability to treat & prevent disease?

As a practicing wellness veterinarian for over 25 years no area has been as exciting (or challenging!) as treating and preventing disease with nutrition. The following data has been compiled from the following lectures given by board certified veterinarians (most un-affiliated with pet food companies). I have provided links directly to peer reviewed websites as many as possible so you can do you own research in this very exciting area.

I am well aware that talking about nutrition is akin to discussing politics & religion. We all have firmly held beliefs and our emotions are often involved. As a veterinarians based in science we owe you the best science based perspective to help you make the right decisions regarding nutritional products, amounts to feed and what wellness issues are specific to your breed (or mixture of breeds). There is even some exciting emerging evidence that certain breed specific feeding has merit.

Recent lectures by board certified DVM’s (Nutrition, Internal Medicine & Surgeons) that I have attended to compile this review.

Naturally Neutraceutical Dr Rob Silver DVM Madison WI Sept 2006
Using Nutrition to Enhance Patient Care Dr Lisa Freeman DVM DACVN Oct 2007
Hills Symposium of Evidence Based Nutrition Dr Phil Roudebush DVM DACVIM Nov 2007
UW Orthopedic Considerations for the Canine Athlete Dr Paul Manley DVM DACVS Nov 2007
Rehabilitation in Veterinary Medicine Sherman Canapp DVM DACVS et al April 2008
International Veterinary Rehabilitation Symposium Dr Julie Churchill DVM DACVIM Aug 2008
Practical Small Animal Nutrition Dr Kathyrn Michels DVM MS DACVN Lake Delton Feb 2009

Important Disclaimer:

This information is in no way to be used without the guidance of your own veterinarian. The assessment of health status and deciphering the best nutrition & supplements for your dog is a complex science and art!

ALL OF THIS INFORMATION NEEDS TO BE CROSS CHECKED AND USED WITH THE ASSISTANCE & GUIDANCE OF YOUR VETERINARIAN

Without their guidance with regard to lab testing , a good physical exam including a body condition score, knowing all underlying conditions (and for rescues/mixed breeds their true genetic makeup) much of this information cannot be properly or safely applied.

Most common diseases that we see as wellness clinic veterinarians

• 75 to 85% have Periodontal Disease
• 50 to 60% are above their Ideal Weight
• 20 to 30% have Osteoarthritis
• 10% to 20% have Allergies (inhalant or food)
• 10% to 20% Organ Failure (Kidney, Liver, Pancreatitis, Diabetes)
• 5 to 10% have Urinary Stones (kidney or bladder)

Many of these are breed specific i.e. small breeds get much more periodontitis and larger breeds generally have much more arthritis & orthopedic problems like hip dysplasia

List of diseases we commonly treat with Rx foods & supplements (partial list)

• Diabetes
• Obesity (over 20% of ideal weight)
• Periodontitis
• Renal failure
• Inhalant allergies
• Food allergies
• Liver disease
• Pancreatitis

1) To prevent Periodontitis (Grades 1 & 2) affects 75 to 85% of pets

Best resource for products: Veterinary Oral Health Council vohc.org

Best assurance of quality: VOHC seal of approval given if food is at least 20% better than typical commercial brand in preventing. Plaque claim is better than just a tartar claim

Specialists viewpoints Dr Fraser Hale DVM FAVD Dip AVDC

Dr Jan Bellows DVM FAVD Dip AVDC

Products Rx Foods Hills T/D ® & Purina Dental Diet ® (VOHC accepted plaque & tartar claim)

OTC Foods Hills Oral care ® (VOHC accepted plaque & tartar claim) & Iams Dental Defense ® (VOHC tartar claim one product in family)

Rawhide chews Cheweez rawhide chews have VOHC acceptance, CET Hextras have good evidence (but are not VOHC labeled)

Water additive healthymouth.com 1^st VOHC seal for a water additive

Home care using tooth pastes, a plaque retardant gel (Oravet) and a periodontal vaccine are outside the scope of this nutritional discussion but are the mainstays of prevention and should be discussed with your veterinarian.

more information

Breeds we specifically need to watch

All dogs under 20#, all Brachycephalics (bulldogs, pugs etc) because of teeth crowding and greyhounds (have a genetic predisposition towards)

Best source to discuss: dentistry oriented veterinarian- ideally an American Veterinary Dental Society Member (AVDS) or a board certified veterinary dentist (We have 3 at U of Wisconsin!)

2) To treat & prevent Obesity (20% over Ideal Weight) affects 40 to 50% of pets

Best national site Association for Pet Obesity Prevention

Best resource for why & how your veterinarian or westsidefamilypet.com

Products Prescription Rx Foods: Hills, Royal Canin, Purina, Iams (all available from your veterinarian) Rx because physical exam, lab testing and calorie counting to be safe and effectively used.

“Over the counter” OTC foods: “light formulas” (must be under 320 Calories/cup)

Supplements: L-Carnitine, Isoflavones, EPA/DHA (fish oils), Level 2 evidence exists

Breeds we specifically need to watch Beagles, Pugs, Scotties, Dalmatians, Labs & Golden Retrievers

3) To treat & prevent Osteoarthritis (includes degenerative disease related to hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, ACL tears) 20 to 30%

Best way to prevent JAVMA wt loss study

Best resource for supplements Consumerlab.com

Products Rx Foods Purina JM ® & Hills J/D ® (force plate studies have been done by each company)

Over the counter (OTC) Foods Calorie Appropriate Feeding

EPA/DHA Fish oils 20mg of EPA per lb per day (details)

Joint supplements (DASUquin ® & Glycoflex ®) per label (details)

Challenges: Not FDA controlled so there are major quality control & effectiveness issues

Breeds we specifically need to watch Labs, Golden Retrievers & all large breeds, Cavalier King Charles, cats!

4) To help treat Allergies (inhalant & food) 10 to 20%

Nonspecific treatment only (inhalant blood testing & food elimination trials must be done to diagnose)

EPA/DHA 20mg EPA/lb about 7 to 8 human fish oil capsules for a Labrador

Challenges: dosing & convenience/compliance

Best resource for general info (human & some pet info) consumerlab.com

5) Probiotics (emerging area)

Proviable by Nutramax first to have good evidence

Nutriflora, Vetriscience & Prostora

Quality control a huge issue (colony forming units etc)

6) Breed specific nutrition

Royal Canin has established some very interesting information with regard to breed specific nutrition. Although there is certainly not data for all breeds and it needs to be researched much more they have provided some excellent and comprehensive background. See their Yorkshire Terrier example

Other useful websites for additional information:

Ohio State College of Vet Med website “Comparing Prescription Diets”

www.vet.osu.edu

Your thoughts welcomed! Lets begin the dialogue.

Dr Ken

EPA/DHA Fish oils resources

Freeman, Lisa OSU Waltham 2002 Nutritional Conference

Mueller RS, et al. J Sm An Proc 2004, 45:293-297.

Simopoulos AP. J Amer Coll Nutr 2002, 21:495-505

Bauer JE. I Am Vet Med Assoc 2006, 229:680-684.

Caterson B, et al. Hills European Symposium Genoa, Italy, Apr 2005:14-18.

Brown SA, et al. J Nutr 1998, 128:2765S-2767S.

Smith CE, et al. J Vet Inter Med 2007, 21:265-273.

Obesity resources

1. “Feeding for Fitness” Dr Julie Churchill DVM DACVIM PhD Intl Rehabilitation Symposium Aug 13 2008.

2. “Obesity’s missing link: The union of metabolism, genome & disease” Dr Jane Armstrong DVM MS MBA DACVIM U of Minn

3. “An evidence-based review of the use of therapeutic foods, owner education, exercise, and drugs for the management of obese and overweight pets” Dr Phillip Roudebush DVM, DACVIM et al JAVMA Vol 233 No 5 Sept 1, 2008

4. “An evidence-based review of the use of nutraceutical and dietary supplementation for the management of obese and overweight pets” Phillip Roudebush DVM, DACVIM et al JAVMA Vol 232 No 11 June 1, 2008

5. Effect of weight reduction on clinical signs of lameness in dogs with hip osteoarthritis Mark A Tetrick, Peter Muir Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association Apr 2000, Vol. 216, No. 7, Pages 1089-1091: 1089-1091.

Misc resources

Isoflavones Research Report Purina Research Report Volume 12 Issue 1

Obesity’s Missing Link: The union of metabolism, genome and disease Hills