Killing with Kindness

How you can help your dog live 2 years longer

The following study demonstrates that body weight plays a significant role in length and quality of life. Dogs that are overweight on average die younger and experience arthritis and other chronic disorders far earlier than thin dogs. This applies not just to dogs that are terribly obese but even dogs that are mildly overweight.

We would like to help you get aggressive in taking the extra pounds off of your pet.

After a blood screening to make sure no obvious metabolic problems are present (like Hypothyroidism) we have a restricted calorie diet and feeding program that should help.

Ask your nurse or doctor for help deciding if this program would help your pet.

Effects of Diet Restriction on Life Span and Age-related Changes in Dogs
The effects of 25% diet restriction from 8 weeks of age until death were evaluated in Labrador Retrievers, using a paired feeding experimental design. One group of 24 dogs was fed a nutritionally complete and balanced diet, and a second group of 24 dogs, consisting of sex-and weight-matched siblings of the first group, was fed 75% of the same food. Body fat mass, lean body mass, and bone mass were evaluated annually, along with serum cholesterol, triglycerides, triiodothyronine, glucose, and insulin concentrations and body condition score. Onset of chronic disease and time and cause of death were recorded.

Compared with control dogs, food-restricted dogs weighed less and had lower body fat and lower serum triglycerides, triiodothyronine, insulin, and glucose concentrations. Median time to onset of clinical signs of osteoarthritis was delayed by 2.8 years, and median time to onset of clinical signs of any chronic disease (including osteoarthritis) was delayed by 1.8 years among food restricted dogs. Median life span was increased by 1.8 years among dogs in the restricted-feeding group.

Results indicate that restricting food intake is a viable means of delaying the onset of chronic disease and prolonging life span in dogs, which has important implications for improving quality and quantity of life.

(Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 2002;220:1315-1320)

The Staff of Alpine Animal Hospital