MEET the Pet Vet, Sean McCormack, who has vowed to help the nation’s overweight dogs and cats fight the fat.
He has teamed up with The Sun on Sunday to help tackle the growing obesity crisis among our four-legged friends — which is more widespread than people realise.
Trade body The Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association says 52 per cent of dogs and 47 per cent of cats in the UK are overweight.
It also found that 33 per cent of owners never weigh their pets.
And because owners love treating their animals, the situation is only likely to get worse, potentially leading to big vets’ bills for health-related problems including arthritis, breathing difficulties, diabetes and urinary conditions.
That’s why we have joined forces with Sean to help owners keep their pets trim and healthy.
Easy ways to slim a fat cat
ASK your vet to carry out a weight check on your cat.
Some illnesses can be linked to weight.
- Don’t keep food in your cat’s dish all the time and don’t top it up. Cats are grazers and often eat out of boredom. Have set meal times with the right amount of food.
- Cut out all treats, tit-bits and milk during the weight-loss period. Cat treats are often calorific and milk certainly is.
- Stop neighbours feeding your cat by putting a disc on its collar saying: “Do not feed due to a medical condition.”
- Introduce play sessions throughout the day to encourage exercise using string toys or laser pointers. Scratching posts and towers will make them more active. Or place their food around the house to get them to try to find it.
He is head vet at an award-winning team at online petfood store tails.com, which specialises in healthy dog nutrition.
They work with owners who can see beneficial changes in their pets’ health after just one month if they follow the team’s advice.
Sean, 35, said: “I want to help Sun on Sunday readers whose cats and dogs need to lose weight and help transform the nation’s pets by getting them into shape.
“A lot of owners don’t realise the harm that being overweight can do to their pet.
“Giving people good, practical advice and support to help their pets live longer is the main reason I became a vet.
“Pet obesity is getting worse year on year, and unfortunately it has a massive knock-on effect on health and even how long pets live.
“We now see a breed’s ideal weight as abnormal and underweight — but that’s because we’re so used to seeing overweight dogs.”
Tails.com creates a unique recipe for each dog, with the exact nutrition that is right for them, using low-fat, high-fibre food to keep them full.
Tips to slim a podgy pooch
FIND out how much you should feed your dog andmeasure it out, don’t guess.
Get advice from your vet.
- Be honest about everything you feed your dog. Count the treats, the food the kids drop on the floor and add it all up in a food diary to ensure you are not over-feeding.
- Swap treats for healthier versions. Replace biscuits and gravy bones with carrot sticks and green beans.
- Exercise more. Walk your dog twice daily and build up the exercise slowly to a level where they will lose weight.
- Learn how to body-condition-score your pet. Learn how much body fat your pet has by feeling their ribs and tummy. This will ensure they are losing weight in the right places and return to their ideal weight.
Plus they use adjustable portion scoops to make sure owners do not overfeed.
Sean said: “Feeding time is so important.
“It is a big part of the bond between pets and owners, but owners often underestimate how many extra calories their pets are getting.
“What might seem a small amount of treats to us can be really calorific for our pets.”
Overweight pets lack energy and can develop mobility problems caused by the extra pressure on their joints.
MOST READ IN FABULOUS
Sean said: “Owners will see a vast improvement when their dogs and cats start to lose the weight.
“Their pet suddenly has a whole new lease of life, with many saying they are like a puppy or a kitten again.
“Keeping your dog in ideal condition can hold off health complications which may mean you’d have to put your dog to sleep two or three years earlier.”
Collie’s shed her wobbles
Hattie the fatty – once thought to be Britain’s most obese dog – weighed 110lb after enjoying a diet of burgers with no exercise but has now lost half her weight in seven months.
When the eight-year-old collie-cross was taken to Gables Farm Dogs and Cats Home in Plymouth in February she was put on a strict diet and exercise regime.
Now she weighs 52lb – ideal for her breed – and is nearly ready to be rehomed.
The centre’s Ruth Rickard said: “Since she lost weight, she is enjoying life again.
“She deserves a good home.”
Far less in the kitty after diet
Fat cat Marnie was given up for adoption because her ex-owner tired of her stealing food from the family’s other pets.
New owner Debbie Campbell found she weighed nearly 16lb – almost double the normal weight for a cat – and put her on special obesity food.
Over a year she lost more than 5lb and now Debbie, of Manchester, carefully weighs the food every day.
She said: “Since losing weight Marnie has become much happier.
“She plays a lot now and is far more agile.”
Send Sean your pet problems
If you want the Pet Vet’s help, send us your stories and pet photos and Sean will offer advice on how to get them back into shape.
Email sundayfeatures@the-sun.co.uk and your portly pet could appear in The Sun on Sunday.
- GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk
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News Pictures Our new expert Sean McCormack vows to help cats and dogs fight flab and get them trim and healthy again
You don’t have to pack away your bikini just because you’re the wrong side of 20. These body-beautiful stars reveal their secrets to staying in shape and prove you can smoulder in a two-piece, whatever your age. Read on and be bikini inspired!
TEENS
Hayden Panettiere
Size: 8
Age: 18
Height: 5ft 1in
Weight: 8st
To achieve her kick-ass figure, Hayden – who plays cheerleader Claire Bennet in Heroes – follows the ‘quartering’ rule. She eats only a quarter of the food on her plate, then waits 20 minutes before deciding whether she needs to eat again.
Hayden says: “I don’t have a model’s body, but I’m not one of those crazy girls who thinks that they’re fat. I’m OK with what I have.”
Nicollette says: “I don’t like diets – I see it, I eat it! I believe in eating healthily with lots of protein, vegetables and carbs to give you energy.”
kim cattrall
Size: 10-12
Age: 52
Height: 5ft 8in
Weight: 9st 4lb
SATC star Kim swears by gym sessions with Russian kettle bells (traditional cast-iron weights) and the South Beach Diet to give her the body she wants. To avoid overeating, Kim has a radical diet trick – squirting lemon juice on her leftovers – so she won’t carry on picking.
Kim says: “I am no super-thin Hollywood actress. I am built for men who like women to look like women.”
https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/NINTCHDBPICT000448927697.jpg?strip=all&w=960
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