Health and Wellbeing | PETS
http://www.petsmagazine.com.au 73
FAT CAT
Q:
Hi Dr Jo, my cat Russo
seems to be getting a little
big. He’s never been a huge cat,
but recently I feel as if he’s put
on a bit of weight. We haven’t
changed his diet or anything,
so I wonder what would cause
this and if you have any way to
tell when a fat cat is a problem.
Russo is seven, by the way.
Tim, via email
A:
Hi Tim, if you get regular vet
checks, your vet will be able
to tell you defi nitively if Russo’s
weight is going up or down as this
is part of the yearly vaccination
health checks. If Russo is given ad-
lib food, as often happens, he can
help himself whenever he desires
and over time may be gradually
increasing his intake ... then when
the family keeps topping up his food bowl, he
gets excited, goes for seconds and eats more than
he really needs. Excess weight in our cats, just like
in people, can cause serious health issues and
complications, the most common being diabetes.
This sort of thing needs to be checked by your
vet and will require a blood test. Another thing
to consider is your pet’s access to human food,
so check no one in the family is spoiling Russo
with treats and snacks, and also check if your cat
can visit the neighbours (my cat once got into
my neighbour’s garage and stole their defrosting
roast! I did replace it). Good luck with your
investigations.NEW LEASE ON LIFE
Q:
Hi Dr Jo, I have a 10-year-old Spoodle
(Cocker Spaniel x Poodle) named Molly.
She is partly blind and deaf, but she has a
loving and protective nature. We got her hair
cut a couple of days ago because it was very
long and matted and it would hang in front of
her eyes. I have noticed that since she got her
hair cut, she has suddenly become more lively.
I’ve also noticed that when she is lying down
(not very often now), she has been shaking as
if she were cold. She has a coat but it is a bit
big, so it always falls off. If it doesn’t fall off ,
Molly will try to pull it off. Do you know what
has happened to Molly?
Clare, via email
A:
Hi Clare, your Molly’s changes really do
sound like they are related to her change in
coat. When we get a new fl ash haircut and style,
we get a new lease on life; Molly probably feels
like a brand-new dog! If her coat was originally
very thick, then it can certainly take some time for
her to acclimatise to the new body temperature
so, if you feel the temperature dropping, putting
a jacket on her can be a good idea.
Many dogs do take a while to get used to
a jacket and they may chew at them to try to
remove them (one of my dogs drags herself along
the ground on her belly to try to strip her coat
off ). Some grow out of this habit. If not, then she
will unfortunately just have to learn to deal with
being slightly cold!Worried that your cat is overweight?
Speak to your vet for a professional opinion.