Is My Pet Fat? #PerfectWeight #ScienceDiet 10 Week Turnaround

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This post is sponsored by Hill’s and the Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Hill’s Science Diet Perfect Weight Food, but Mom Knows It All only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.

If you’re read Mom Knows It All for a while or if you follow me on Instagram, you  probably know that we have a Siamese cat named Jules. Now for the record,  I am a cat lover to start, so I think cats are terrific. I have had a lot of them. Jules is one of the two best cats I have ever had. That’s saying a lot, considering that I have just about always had a cat for my entire 48 years of life.
We’ve had Jules since he was a kitten. He darted out in front of my younger brother’s car, and when my brother stopped to be sure he was okay, Jules hopped into the car. I was out of town at that particular time, but hubby wouldn’t allow Jules to go to a shelter where he might or might not get adopted or even stay alive. So Jules was a surprise to me, but one of the best ones I’ve ever gotten.
Jules has always been a “solid” cat. Over the past two months he we noticed that when he walked or ran across the floor you could actually hear a thud when his feet hit the ground. As a result he earned the nickname “fat cat” and occasionally “lard butt”. And then about a week ago the noisy gait got me to wondering. Is Jules fat?

“According to a recent survey by the Association for Pet Obesity and Prevention, more than half of dogs and cats can be classified as overweight or obese. Even worse, these overweight dogs and cats are prone to a variety of health issues, including arthritis, heart disease and diabetes.”
That’s a scary number really. I mean think about it. More than half of our pets are overweight. Being markedly overweight isn’t a healthy thing for anyone, whether person or pet. Being overweight can impact health and life. Here’s another scary number. According to a recent survey by the Association for Pet Obesity and Prevention, only 11% of parents of overweight pets realize their pets are overweight. As Jules is a very important member of our family, I have to be mindful of his weight and do what I can do make sure things are what they should be.
So how does one know if their pet is overweight? There are signs of an overweight pet. One guideline to use is that if you can’t see your pet’s ribs or feel them while placing your hands on the side of their chest, they are probably overweight. Of course, the only way to know for sure if there is need for concern is to see your vet. Veterinarians are always the best qualified to determine your pet’s body condition as well as help determine an appropriate course of action to lose weight. Recommendations may include a change in diet, along with lifestyle changes such as adding in more exercise.
Dr. Ashley Gallagher, vet at the Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington D.C., explains how to identify if your pet is overweight.

Hill’s has introduced new Science Diet® Perfect Weight, with its breakthrough blend of natural ingredients that helps pets lose weight without the hassle of counting calories. The new food offers  100% precisely balanced nutrition, and prebiotic fibers for gentle digestion. Over 70% of dogs and cats lost weight within 10 weeks when fed this nutritional pet food.

The 10 Week Turnaround program was designed to help encourage people to feed Hill’s Science Diet Adult Perfect Weight dog food and Hill’s Science Diet Adult Perfect Weight cat food to their pets for 10 weeks and share their success along the way. More than 70% of dogs & cats lost weight within 10 weeks when fed Perfect Weight foods. Those results are fantastic! No calorie counting was needed, just proper portions of a quality food made of a breakthrough blend of natural ingredients. Along with proper feeding the program also encourages responsible snacking.
Cat weight loss was important to Shawn Teets of Indianapolis, IN, so put her cat Ethel on the 10 Week Turnaround program. Ethel lost 11% of her weight in just 10 weeks. That’s a noticeable difference!
“Knowing the reputation of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, I felt good feeding it to her. I was very pleased for Ethel to be chosen for the program and am quite happy with her results,” said Teets.
 
Pets having a healthy weight adds to their quality of life and life expectancy. Those things also benefit us, since our pets are like members of our family. I, along with the rest of my family, love Jules like crazy. I hate the thought of his life being shorter then it has to be so understand that his weight is something I need to stay aware of.

Is your pet overweight?