It’s Not a Beauty Contest (but your pet does care about his weight)

     How would you like to have the power to add two whole years to your pet’s lifespan?  I’m in a position to witness how desperate people often feel to carve out another week or month for their treasured friend as his time is ebbing away.  But two whole years?  The owners of aging dogs and cats live in the ominous shadow of a day when he begins to look or act different and it signals the beginning of the end.  Two whole years would be a fabulous, unfathomable gift—a gift of time, impossible to purchase for any amount of money.

     And yet, a study released by Purina showed that lifespan could be influenced in a very direct fashion by altering the way that dogs were fed.  A simple lesson was learned, so simple that you may find it difficult to believe.  One group of dogs was fed as much as they wanted, while the other group was fed 25% less of the same food.  It doesn’t get much simpler than that.  Unsurprisingly, the dogs with lower intake kept a leaner shape throughout their lives—but this was no beauty contest.  Those dogs were also healthier overall, in a variety of measurable ways.  It took two years longer for the leaner dogs to begin needing treatment for arthritic pain, or for any other chronic health condition.  It also took them almost two years longer to leave this world.

     This is certainly exciting news for veterinarians, but even more so for our clients.  Dogs that are eating 25% less will cost you 25% less at the pet food store, and that starts to add up rapidly.  If it takes him two years longer to develop a chronic health condition, he’ll be spending that extra time romping around instead of moping around.  You’d be putting off the increase in vet visits for another two years, putting off his dependence on medication and interventions for another two years.  Cheating time, as it were.

     Of course, there are no guarantees in medicine.  The data from four dozen Labrador Retrievers can only be reported in terms of statistical means and medians; not every single dog was granted the winning ticket.  You have a dachshund, anyway, or a cat.  But isn’t it still worth a try, for the possible payoff of two whole years?  Here’s how: dogs and cats usually receive a body condition score between 1 and 9 during their routine physical exams, where 1 represents “emaciated” and 9 stands in for “severely obese”.  Ask about your pet’s body condition score next time you see your veterinarian for a physical.  He or she will be happy to help you get your pet into the target zone of the longevity study, around 4.5.  You’ll be spending less on food and doing your very best to ward off the sinister shadow of that day when his age starts to catch up with him.

Dr M.S. Regan