The headline: Morbidly obese cat King Leo dies from cardiac arrest - despite having lost 10lbs with the help of rigorous fitness regime.
This cat's last days on Earth must have been sheer hell. He was subjected to an exercise regime including treadmill, which - if it helped with his fitness at all - it stressed him enough to have probably contributed to his death.
King Leo at 30 pounds.
Use gentleness
Cats don't like to be told what to do. Dogs don't either, but due to their pleasing nature, they submit. Forcing pets to engage in a strenuous fitness regime will overwhelm them and affect their immune and nervous system.
I could tell you to have a veterinary determine and monitor the animal's diet and activity regime, but in Leo's case the cat's owner worked in a veterinary office.
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| Leo at the treadmill - pure hell |
Many humans think of pets as people. Pets are so smart, so polite, so understanding, so loving. Better than children.
Therefore humans try to show their affection by overfeeding them, or by offering them the wrong kind of food and treats.
A poor diet will either weaken the pet's health, or fatten him too much, or both.
You spend hundreds of dollars on his health care. Why not devote a little time this weekend to create a healthy homemade menu list for him?
And you don't need to cook daily for him. Meals can also be frozen for busy days.
Therefore humans try to show their affection by overfeeding them, or by offering them the wrong kind of food and treats.
A poor diet will either weaken the pet's health, or fatten him too much, or both.
You spend hundreds of dollars on his health care. Why not devote a little time this weekend to create a healthy homemade menu list for him?
And you don't need to cook daily for him. Meals can also be frozen for busy days.
Vets are business people. They often have a section for the sale of commercial pet food.
Look at the ingredients in that food and be shocked. Would you eat that?
Look at the ingredients in that food and be shocked. Would you eat that?
A glance at the recalled pet food webpage will give you an idea of the brands with quality control problems. But occasional contamination is not the only problem.
Food ingredients are crucial.
Many pet food companies buy ingredients from different sources and do their own mixing to create a particular brand of animal food.
Often those ingredients come from Asia.
In 2007 thousands of pets were getting sick and dying all over North America after eating different brands of dog food made with the same toxic ingredients. These days we have another problem with contaminated treats, also from Asia.
In the 2007 case the ingredients were so bad that they produced immediate symptoms. But there are other less than optimum ingredients that damage your pet's health over a longer period of time. So be careful.
And even when the food ingredients listed on the pet food package seem good and healthy, they are not necessarily of good quality. Vegetables listed may be discards with barely any nutrition left in them. And commercial pet food has been so completely processed through heat, and who knows what else to kill germs, that it has almost no life left in them.
Ideally, a diet consisting of human-grade food is best for your pet. Their needs are simple. They need animal protein, some roughage, certain vitamins.
There are websites that will help you devise the best homemade food for your cat or dog, depending on his size and age.
Daily Mail: Sad turn of events: By mid-October, King Leo had become ill with pancreatitis, prompting his owner to set up a GoFundMe page to help pay his medical bills
Blogger: When fat dissolves, all the toxins end up in higher concentrations in the animal's digestive system, in organs such as the liver, kidneys and pancreas. That's why weight loss should be gentle and over a reasonable period of time so as not to overwhelm those organs.
Cats love fish. Canned fish for human consumption is not more expensive than canned cat food. Cats also enjoy a teaspoon of soft boiled egg yolk every day (egg white is not good for them). Those are two sources of good, healthy protein containing a key ingredient for cats, taurine.
Nothing but fish or meat can make a pet constipated, so they need some roughage. If they don't like fruit, or cooked carrots and peas, you add a tiny smidgen of psyllium husks in his meal once a day. Very, very tiny. It will keep him regular. You can buy ground psyllium husks at the health food store and keep them in the fridge for freshness.
Internet recommendations for homemade food.
Don't get too overwhelmed or intimidated by nutrition formulas that are hard to follow. Such as percentages of this and percentages of that.
As long as your animal is eating a good source of people-grade protein (cooked meat or fish), he will be getting a far better nutrition than by eating the best processed commercial pet food available.
And there are savings. A can of $1 sardines in water at Walmart will last for a couple of days. The same price or less than for the same portion of commercial cat food of questionable origin.
It gets better. Feeding your pet people food, and keeping him away from unnecessary vaccines, he will live longer. healthier and happier.
Internet recommendations for homemade food.
Don't get too overwhelmed or intimidated by nutrition formulas that are hard to follow. Such as percentages of this and percentages of that.
As long as your animal is eating a good source of people-grade protein (cooked meat or fish), he will be getting a far better nutrition than by eating the best processed commercial pet food available.
And there are savings. A can of $1 sardines in water at Walmart will last for a couple of days. The same price or less than for the same portion of commercial cat food of questionable origin.
It gets better. Feeding your pet people food, and keeping him away from unnecessary vaccines, he will live longer. healthier and happier.
Raw food may not be the best idea.
Raw meat and fish may have parasites that are killed by cooking. I know that sushi fans don't like to hear about this, but scientific evidence shows that fish contain parasites.
Raw meat and fish may have parasites that are killed by cooking. I know that sushi fans don't like to hear about this, but scientific evidence shows that fish contain parasites.
Go gradually on a dog exercise regime - and allow your cat to be a couch potato.
If your dog is middle aged or older, don't try to introduce a new and drastic exercise on him. A nice walk, not run, will be enough to give him health benefits.
And if you have a cat, please don't force any exercise regime on him at all. They are wild creatures who honor us with their presence. They resent having anything forced on them. City cats have adapted their bodies to the easy life. Indoor cats live long lives without having to chase a meal or jump hoops to get it.
A diet regime should also be gentle and gradual
If you happen to adopt an obese animal, be gentle in how you proceed to slim him down.
Give the pet a year to get rid of his overweight. For example, you can plan a loss of around a pound per month. Don't get frustrated if he does not appear to lose weight as fast as you expected. Less food may slow down his metabolism. Give him time to adjust.
You can start cutting down on portions. Do it scientifically, by weighing the food, or counting the number of pellets. Serve a little bit less each week.
The main point is for pets to eat nutritionally healthy foods. Food with a lot of junk ingredients won't be satisfying, and animals may tend to overeat. Another reason why they overeat is stress. Try to eliminate stress from their lives.
A lot of love, play times, and a stress-free environment will help extend your pet's life.
Disclaimer: I'm not an expert, just a loving pet owner. Please research these subjects by visiting reputable websites. The ones I provide are offered as samples.
You may also want your vet's opinion but, as the documentary I include shows, there are vets who may be more influenced by their need for income than by what's best for your animal. They will try to dissuade you from giving them people food. Their recommended commercial pet food may be detrimental for pets' health and thus will keep the patients coming back to the vet. If the vet is also a pet food salesman, that's a conflict of interest.
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References
The case of King Leo
Thirty-pounds cat King Leo dies from cardiac arrest, after losing 10lbs with a rigorous fitness regime.
Animal food recalls and alerts
American Veterinary Medical Association
(Filter on the page for cat and dog food)
https://www.avma.org/news/issues/recalls-alerts/pages/pet-food-safety-recalls-alerts.aspx?fvalue=Cat
Raw food not the best idea - It may contain parasites.
The case of sushi lovers with body riddled with worms
Even organic meat can have parasites
Risk of salmonella in raw meat
Pet food ingredients - The shocking truth
This item has links to related news articles
The 2007 pet food scandal
Thousands of pets got sick and many died from eating different brands of food made with the same Chinese ingredients.
Jerky treats killing pets
The benefits of psyllium husks for constipated pets
The picture shows brown grains of psyllium. What you get at the health food store is a white powder or tiny white flecks. This is what you add to your pet's food. And only a tiny smidgen.
http://www.petfoodnutrition.com/ingredients/psyllium-seed-husk/
Homemade food suggestions:
Dog Food - http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/homemade-dog-food
Cat Food - http://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/homemade-cat-food-and-raw-cat-food
Homemade food suggestions:
Dog Food - http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/homemade-dog-food
Cat Food - http://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/homemade-cat-food-and-raw-cat-food
Other pet health concerns
Toxins accumulate in fat and are released into organs during weight loss.
This article is about people, but it should apply to pets as well and it's a warning against accelerated weight loss.
Toxins are stored in a person's fat to prevent them from reaching vital organs. Toxins can damage the heart, liver, and kidneys. With weight loss the released toxins become active in blood circulation and doing harm to vital organs.
Take your time to get rid of those excess pounds, whether yours or your pet's.
http://www.wellnessresources.com/weight_tips/articles/detoxification_during_weight_loss/
Beware of unnecessary vaccines.
Too many pet vaccinations damage their health
Plants poisonous to pets
Keeping indoor cats safe from harm
Pet emergency evacuation plan
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CBC hidden-camera documentary on how vets prescribe tests and treatments that are unnecessary and often dangerous.
CBC HIDDEN CAMERA DOCUMENTARY
BARKING MAD
Hidden camera shows how pet owners may be paying hundreds of dollars for questionable treatments and procedures at the vet. The Marketplace team goes undercover with our four-legged sleuth, Marshall, a healthy bulldog, taking him to ten veterinary clinics.
We put the vets to the test on what they’ll recommend for routine pet care needs. Some vets we visit prescribe vaccines our undercover dog doesn't need, testing that's unnecessary, expensive medications and pet food, as well as differing diagnoses for a common condition.
And we reveal five ways that your vet bill may be inflated and how to keep your pet healthy and your vet costs down.
Watch video here (click on the black screen)
http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/episodes/2013-2014/barking-mad
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Pictures of pets terrified of the vet - Sometimes with good reason
See more pictures:
More articles on pet health on this blog
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