Tips from real vets

Maintaining your pet’s ideal weight is the best chance you can give your pet to help them live their longest! Many pet owners focus on what diet to feed and neglect how much they actually feed. In some ways, it is more important how much you feed rather than what. The “best” diet on the planet that is overfed is still malnutrition. With your veterinarians help, pick the best diet, but also have them help figure out how much to feed to maintain ideal body weight. If it were easy, you wouldn’t have 50-60% of dogs and cats overweight. The struggle is real!

Cats are masters at hiding illness until they are very sick. Monitor for trends such as progressive appetite loss that may then clue you in to weight loss that can be less noticeable. Get bloodwork done if any change in appetite or weight.

Pets often hide pain and illness remarkably well. By the time a pet looks obviously sick, a problem may already be fairly advanced. Subtle changes—drinking more, eating differently, sleeping more, hesitating to jump, slowing on walks, losing weight, bad breath, altered toileting, or simply “not being themselves”—can be the earliest clues.

The first sign of any eye issues, seek medical attention as soon as possible. There is a very small window for correct treatment.

Also recommend running screening bloodwork at a young age to establish a base line!