{"id":134,"date":"2015-04-26T10:30:57","date_gmt":"2015-04-26T14:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/?p=134"},"modified":"2022-07-08T14:48:01","modified_gmt":"2022-07-08T18:48:01","slug":"the-biggest-threat-to-your-pet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/the-biggest-threat-to-your-pet\/","title":{"rendered":"The biggest threat to your pet"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The numbers are out\u2026 and they\u2019re not encouraging\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-135 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Corgi-Obese.jpg\" alt=\"An overweight Corgi\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1536\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Corgi-Obese.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Corgi-Obese-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Corgi-Obese-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Every year, the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention or APOP (full disclosure: I\u2019m a volunteer member of the board) collects information about the weight and \u201cBody Condition Score\u201d of cats and dogs throughout the US. Sadly, despite vets\u2019 efforts, our pets get a little bit chubbier every year.<br \/>\n<!--more--><br \/>\n<strong>Of course the numbers are not out for 2015, so below is the state of US pets in 2014.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>58% of cats are overweight.<\/li>\n<li>28% of cats are obese (vs. 27% in 2013).<\/li>\n<li>53% of dogs were overweight.<\/li>\n<li>18% of dogs are obese (vs. 17% in 2013).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The fat gap<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A big problem of this growing epidemic is that the &#8220;fat gap&#8221; keep widening.<\/p>\n<p>The fat gap is a sad misconception in the minds of pet owners.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Almost all owners of overweight cats and dogs don\u2019t even see their pets&#8217; excess weight:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>90% (vs. 88% in 2013) of owners of overweight cats<\/li>\n<li>and 95% (vs. 93% in 2013) of owners of overweight dogs identified their pets as having a normal weight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Why is this a problem? Because it\u2019s difficult to treat what you don\u2019t see or don&#8217;t know. So instead of fighting to treat overweight or obesity, vets have to fight denial.<\/p>\n<p>To be fair, many vets don\u2019t talk about weight loss when it\u2019s needed.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of the reasons or excuses, the ultimate biggest loser is the pet. Overweight and obesity can lead to diabetes,\u00a0arthritis, high blood pressure, heart and respiratory diseases and even\u00a0several types\u00a0of cancer. Most of my patients with a torn ACL (and many other injuries) are overweight, which we know is a risk factor.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dr. Ernie Ward, the founder of APOP, reports that:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Only 50% of pet owners say their veterinarian has talked to them about nutritional issues<\/li>\n<li>Yet 75% say it would be extremely helpful.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&#8220;Veterinarians think pet owners\u00a0don&#8217;t want to hear it &#8211; but they do. If we don&#8217;t talk about it, they get it at the pet store,&#8221; he says. &#8220;We&#8217;re losing the conversation war.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>So what should you do? Take an objective look at your pet. Can you feel the ribs easily? Does your pet have a tummy tuck (like a Greyhound) or a pot belly? Does your pet get easily tired after mild exercise, such as walking up the stairs?<\/p>\n<p>Then ask your vet what you can do to help your pet lose weight. We have very effective weight loss foods now that can make a big difference in your pet\u2019s quality of life.<\/p>\n<p>Next, encourage your pet to exercise.\u00a0Take a daily walk with your dog. And play daily with your cat. It&#8217;s good for your and it&#8217;s good for them. There are lots of free resources at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.petobesityprevention.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.petobesityprevention.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>You can also check out my very practical book on weight loss (in pets and people) at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Walk-Hound-Lose-Pound-Human-Animal\/dp\/1557535817\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.amazon.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Last but not least, here is one more reason to help your pet lose weight, or maintain a healthy weight:\u00a0thin pets live an average of 2 years longer than heavy pets. Obviously, you love your pet if you are still reading this. So for the love of your pet, please help him or her lose weight!<\/p>\n<p>Phil Zeltzman, DVM, DACVS, CVJ<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The numbers are out\u2026 and they\u2019re not encouraging\u2026 Every year, the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention or APOP (full disclosure: I\u2019m a volunteer member of the board) collects information about the weight and \u201cBody Condition Score\u201d of cats and dogs throughout the US. Sadly, despite vets\u2019 efforts, our pets get a little bit chubbier every [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The biggest threat to your pet | Dr Phil Zeltzman\u2019s Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Overweight and obesity in pets leads to multiple diseases and decreases their quality of like and lifespan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/the-biggest-threat-to-your-pet\/\" 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Bethlehem, Easton (Northampton County), Reading (Berks County), Jim Thorpe (Carbon County), Stroudsburg (Monroe County), Quakertown (Bucks County), Pottsville (Schuylkill County), and Harrisburg\/Mechanicsburg (Dauphin County) in Pennsylvania, as well as parts of Western New Jersey. He performs specialized orthopedic, neurologic, cancer, and soft tissue surgeries on dogs, cats, and small exotics at your family vet\u2019s hospital. After graduating in 1993 from the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Liege in Belgium, Dr. Zeltzman simultaneously worked as a general practitioner, emergency vet, and journalist for three years in his native city of Paris, France. He completed a one-year internship at the University of Georgia, followed by a three-year surgery residency at Surgical Referral Service in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. He then worked as a surgeon for four years at a surgical practice in Cincinnati, Ohio, and an additional four years at a surgical practice in Whitehall, Pennsylvania. He is a board-certified surgeon and a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, a coveted professional achievement Dr. Zeltzman is also a certified surgeon for the tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO), having performed thousands of these procedures in dogs from less than 30 pounds to more than 250 pounds! The results of his work have been very impressive. Dr. Zeltzman\u2019s interests include all aspects of soft tissue, orthopedic, cancer, reconstructive, and neuro surgery, as well as physical therapy and emergency cases. He also has a strong interest in the prevention and treatment of obesity. His newest endeavor is stem cell therapy for arthritis, kidney disease, liver disease, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as well as tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA). Dr. Zeltzman knew he wanted to be a veterinarian since the age of 5 when his favorite TV shows were Flipper, Daktari, and Lassie. \u201cBecoming a veterinary surgeon has been a dream come true, and I am as passionate about my profession as I was when I first started,\u201d he says. In practice, Dr. Zeltzman\u2019s goal is to offer the best surgical care, the safest anesthesia, and the utmost pain management to all of his patients. Actively involved in teaching, lecturing, and publishing, both locally and internationally, Dr. Zeltzman has published two books: Cocker Spaniels: A Practical Guide for People Owned by a Cocker and Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound, a book on weight loss for both dogs and people, co-written with Rebecca Johnson. He also writes a monthly award-winning newsletter for true dog and cat lovers. It is read in all 50 States, as well as more than 40 foreign countries. This newsletter has evolved into his blog. As a Certified Veterinary Journalist (CVJ), blogger, columnist, and award-winning author, his goal is to write meaningful articles, newsletters, and books that will make a difference in the lives of pets and their owners. He has published numerous articles in national and international veterinary journals, and is currently working on several book projects. He is also a prolific speaker. Dr. Zeltzman is a member of the Cat Writers\u2019 Association, the Dog Writers\u2019 Association and the Authors\u2019 Guild. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the Lehigh Valley Veterinary Medical Association (LVVMA), and the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS). 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Zeltzman","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1c4906cf28046a4e3991c94ad9fefbe1b1a74c267307ac5746f5e84321e1ac9b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1c4906cf28046a4e3991c94ad9fefbe1b1a74c267307ac5746f5e84321e1ac9b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Dr. Phil Zeltzman"},"description":"Dr. Phil Zeltzman is a traveling board-certified veterinary surgeon, servicing the areas of Allentown (Lehigh Valley), Bethlehem, Easton (Northampton County), Reading (Berks County), Jim Thorpe (Carbon County), Stroudsburg (Monroe County), Quakertown (Bucks County), Pottsville (Schuylkill County), and Harrisburg\/Mechanicsburg (Dauphin County) in Pennsylvania, as well as parts of Western New Jersey. He performs specialized orthopedic, neurologic, cancer, and soft tissue surgeries on dogs, cats, and small exotics at your family vet\u2019s hospital. After graduating in 1993 from the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Liege in Belgium, Dr. Zeltzman simultaneously worked as a general practitioner, emergency vet, and journalist for three years in his native city of Paris, France. He completed a one-year internship at the University of Georgia, followed by a three-year surgery residency at Surgical Referral Service in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. He then worked as a surgeon for four years at a surgical practice in Cincinnati, Ohio, and an additional four years at a surgical practice in Whitehall, Pennsylvania. He is a board-certified surgeon and a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, a coveted professional achievement Dr. Zeltzman is also a certified surgeon for the tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO), having performed thousands of these procedures in dogs from less than 30 pounds to more than 250 pounds! The results of his work have been very impressive. Dr. Zeltzman\u2019s interests include all aspects of soft tissue, orthopedic, cancer, reconstructive, and neuro surgery, as well as physical therapy and emergency cases. He also has a strong interest in the prevention and treatment of obesity. His newest endeavor is stem cell therapy for arthritis, kidney disease, liver disease, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as well as tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA). Dr. Zeltzman knew he wanted to be a veterinarian since the age of 5 when his favorite TV shows were Flipper, Daktari, and Lassie. \u201cBecoming a veterinary surgeon has been a dream come true, and I am as passionate about my profession as I was when I first started,\u201d he says. In practice, Dr. Zeltzman\u2019s goal is to offer the best surgical care, the safest anesthesia, and the utmost pain management to all of his patients. Actively involved in teaching, lecturing, and publishing, both locally and internationally, Dr. Zeltzman has published two books: Cocker Spaniels: A Practical Guide for People Owned by a Cocker and Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound, a book on weight loss for both dogs and people, co-written with Rebecca Johnson. He also writes a monthly award-winning newsletter for true dog and cat lovers. It is read in all 50 States, as well as more than 40 foreign countries. This newsletter has evolved into his blog. As a Certified Veterinary Journalist (CVJ), blogger, columnist, and award-winning author, his goal is to write meaningful articles, newsletters, and books that will make a difference in the lives of pets and their owners. He has published numerous articles in national and international veterinary journals, and is currently working on several book projects. He is also a prolific speaker. Dr. Zeltzman is a member of the Cat Writers\u2019 Association, the Dog Writers\u2019 Association and the Authors\u2019 Guild. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the Lehigh Valley Veterinary Medical Association (LVVMA), and the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS). He is a monthly contributor to veterinarypracticenews.com and a regular contributor to Dog Fancy, PetsAdviser.com, and PetHealthNetwork.com.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DrZeltzman"],"url":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/author\/phil\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=134"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2026,"href":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134\/revisions\/2026"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}