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We get word a lot about the corpulency epidemic these day . But humans are n’t the only species at risk . Catobesitycases are also on the rise . agree to the latestAssociation for Pet Obesity Prevention(APOP ) report , 61 pct of cats in the United States are heavy or obese [ 1 ] , up from 57 percentage a decennary ago . [ 2 ] What ’s more , overweight pets have become so rife , it can be difficult to tell whether your cat is at a healthy weight , or if they could benefit from a switch to weight unit management cat food .
programming regularveterinary examsfor your cat can help you cover your pet ’s weightiness fluctuations . But if your cat faces sure peril factor for obesity , a proactive approaching to free weight management could help you avoid declamatory health logical implication in the future tense .
Some African tea breeds , such as American andBritish shorthairs , may have an increased likelihood of fleshiness compared to other breed . Your cat ’s sex may also be a component , as manly guy are more potential to clear weight than females . While the welfare of spaying or neutering your hombre far outweigh any potential negative , the process can alter feline metabolism rate , which may lead to weight addition . And though experts harmonize that keeping your cat indoors is good , indoor Arabian tea do face a not bad risk of weight gain than out-of-door cats .
Even if your guy does not have any of these endangerment factors , the potential wellness return associate with obesity in cats can be frighten away . Feline corpulency can increase the risk of infection ofosteoarthritis , feline lower urinary piece of land disease(FLUTD),diabetes mellitus , and variouscancers . Obesity can also perplex the direction ofchronic kidney disease ( CKD ) , liver disease , heart disease , as well asasthma , and other respiratory disorderliness .
enquiry show that cat corpulency can subjugate life by nearly two age . [ 3 ] So , if your big cat is fleshy , exchange to a weight management guy food dieting could facilitate increase both the tone and longevity of your cat ’s life .
Our Top Picks
Best Prescription Weight Management Cat Foods
Best Non-Prescription Weight Management Cat Foods
What Is Weight Management Cat Food?
While share control and increase employment are proven tactics in the battle of the bulge ( both for feline and their human similitude ) , some cats may need a dissimilar advance , especially if they have more than a few pounds to lose . So if the scale is n’t budge ( or is moving in the incorrect centering ) for your computerized tomography , it ’s a good idea to chat with your veterinarian about switching your pet to a special weightiness management diet .
free weight direction guy food come in both prescription and non - prescription ( over - the - counter ) selection that are specially formulated to assist cat lose free weight . Both types typically contain fewer calories than standard cat food formulas , with macronutrient ratios that are lower in fat while maintaining eminent levels of protein .
These diets ordinarily lick by optimise fat metabolism and helping to induce a state of ketosis , which is when the body burns fatness alternatively of glucose ( sugar from carbohydrates ) for DOE . Weight management cat diet also tend to contain more water and/or character than other cat food for thought . This increased mass or bulk help Caterpillar finger full so they do n’t eat as much .
Prescription Weight Management Cat Food vs Non-Prescription
Non - prescription weight management formulascan benefit cat-o'-nine-tails with smaller weight exit goals , but primarily function as a maintenance diet to serve big cat stay at a salubrious weighting . In contrast , prescription medicine options ( also known as veterinary therapeutical diets ) work both as a discourse to help oneself facilitate substantial weight unit exit , as well as a diet to help defend a healthy weight once those pound are shed . ethical drug formulas also hold tot up ingredient to aid improve metabolism .
Although they may whittle as many Pound off your cat ’s waist , non - prescription options are also wanton on your wallet . prescription drug dieting tend to advertize more striking weight loss , but they typically come with a bigger toll tag .
Why Your Vet Might Recommend a Weight Management Cat Food
Some pet parent may be invite to take a DIY approach to helping their computerized tomography drop off weight . But it ’s good to involve your vet in your plan , no matter how unsubdivided it may seem .
While deoxidise the amount of regular cat food you serve up at mealtime could help your “ fluffy ” feline slim down , veterinarians caution against satisfying dower diminution , especially in very weighty cat . That ’s because drastically reducing portion size of it not only cuts calories , it can also inadvertently induce malnutrition by throttle vital nutrients that your Caterpillar needs to prosper .
to boot , if you of a sudden exchange a morbidly obese cat to a calorie - restricted diet , they can face an increased endangerment of developing a fateful liver disease calledhepatic lipidosis .
Your vet can facilitate you make change to your cat ’s existing diet and lifestyle to promote healthy , gradual weight loss . But , if smaller portion , fewer delicacy , and more drill do n’t move the scale , or if your computerized axial tomography has a substantial amount of weightiness to lose , your veterinarian will likely advise a weight unit management cat food .
In accession to promoting hefty weight deprivation , speciality weight direction cat food can also make the appendage of suffer weight easier … for both you and your cat . Because the formulas carry fewer nutritionist’s calorie , you may still feed your cat a “ normal ” share size , so they do n’t feel deprived . And , thanks to extra roughage , free weight departure cat food for thought tends to expand in the bay window , giving cats a sense of fullness . The formulas are also design to be quite tasty and palatable .
As a issue , CAT often sense more satisfied and less “ hangry ” when they eat free weight direction formulas . That can also help reduce the risk of unwanted side effects that often follow confinement diet , such as solicit for food or destructive behavior .
What Weight Management Diet is Best for Your Cat?
There is a extensive salmagundi of weight management quat food pick contrive to do work for a all-embracing range of guy — from very obese and overweight cat , to those on the cusp of being heavy , and those who have lost free weight and require help maintaining their unexampled healthy physique .
Your veterinary surgeon will shape what case of weight direction dieting is most appropriate for your cat ’s specific pauperization . First , they ’ll compute your pet ’s idealistic weight , casual gram calorie needs , and weight decrease tempo using a variety of factors specific to your pet . These include strain , age , metabolic rate , activity stage , nutritional prerequisite , and any physical or internal ill that may command heedful monitoring throughout the free weight loss process .
Top 10 Vet-Recommended Weight Management Cat Foods
There ’s no shortage of cat nutrient diets on the marketplace promising to help your cat-o'-nine-tails achieve or maintain a healthy weight . To help pet parents navigate the ocean of choices , here are the options veterinary most commonly advocate . Most are available in both wry ( kibble ) and can ( wet ) food options . And many also offer low - kilocalorie goody your cat can bask without jeopardizing their weight loss journeying . necessitate your vet if one of the following diet is optimal for your cat-o'-nine-tails ’s specific health and weight management penury .
Hills Prescription Diet Metabolic Weight Management Cat Food
Hill ’s Prescription diet are well known as trusted mainstays when it comes to disease direction through veterinary therapeutic diets . The Hill ’s Metabolic Weight Management expression promotes respectable , effective weight loss in cats who are overweight or obese using a proved blending of high - lineament ingredients . And the event address for themselves : According to Hill ’s , 88 pct of pets feed this dieting at home lose weight in two months . It is available in a variety of grain to keep cats interested and also helps support urinary parcel health by minimizing urinary watch crystal formation .
Pros
Cons
Royal Canin Satiety Support Weight Management Cat Food
As a brand built on a unanimous foundation of scientific research , Royal Canin is have sex for its preciseness approach to nutriment , offering formulas tailor-make to a pet ’s age , size , and even breed . The make ’s Satiety Support Weight Management diet are likewise sew to meet the weight loss needs of cats with body experimental condition lots of 7 - 9 . This prescription diet is peculiarly formulate to support substantial weight deprivation in cats that look an increase risk of health issues due to being overweight or obese . Made with quality , veterinary surgeon - recommended ingredient and high fiber , to help oneself keep Arabian tea satisfied between meals . It also optimizes osseous tissue and joint wellness , which is primal in heavy cats , as surplus weight increases stress on the musculoskeletal system which can worsen degenerative joint disease .
Royal Canin Weight Control Cat Food
Not all cats postulate a heavy - duty diet designed to serve leave out pounds . Specifically plan to support weighting management , Royal Canin Weight Control cat food offers a balanced blending of nutrient , as well as gamy levels of protein and character , to aid in gradual , healthy weight loss . This prescription diet help conserve a thin weight in spay and altered grownup cats , who often have a trend to gain weightiness due to hormonal change . It also supports urinary wellness by reducing urinary crystallization development .
Hill ’s Prescription Diet r / d Weight Reduction Cat Food
While this vet - urge prescription dieting from Hill ’s is not think for foresightful - term use past 6 months , it is project to help cat well pare their waist within 4 to 8 calendar week . The clinically tested formula contain therapeutic level of liter - carnitine , plus an optimized blending of fibre to help your computed tomography metabolize fat , maintain thin muscles , and feel full longer .
Hill ’s Prescription Diet w / d Multi - Benefit Cat Food
For cats who struggle with excess weight in add-on to other wellness conditions , Hill ’s offer a multi - tasking prescription medicine cat food designed to tackle more than just extra pound . In addition to helping cats lose system of weights , Hill ’s Prescription Diet w / d Multi - Benefit cat food also help oneself promote healthy digestion , urinary health , and blood saccharide direction . Since obesity can contribute to typecast 2 diabetes mellitus in kat , that ’s great news for CT with line of descent glucose reading material on the gamey oddment of normal . Cats prone to GI way out that respond to fiber and urinary tract diseases can also profit from this extra - helpful formula .
Con
Purina Pro Plan OM Overweight Management
Purina Pro Plan OM Overweight Management is a prescription weightiness loss dieting for more impactful free weight loss and farsighted - term management of a spare feline material body . It ’s forge with a high protein - to - calorie proportion to ensure cats get the proper equaliser of nutrient , even when losing or maintaining weight . Plus , its delicious potpourri of flavor will help entice your cat-o'-nine-tails ’s tastebuds while reducing their body blubber and maintaining sinew peck .
Blue Natural Veterinary Diet W+U Weight Management + Urinary Care Cat Food
One of the more budget - friendly ethical drug diets , BLUE Natural Veterinary Diet W+U formula deliver the threefold welfare of weight direction and urinary caution in one pleasant-tasting diet . The grain - innocent chemical formula features natural ingredients , including debone chicken and wholesome , fibre - rich fruit and veg to help cats feel fuller longer . Plus , the dieting contains cautiously controlled mineral levels designed to prevent bladder endocarp and promote urinary health .
Best Non-Prescription Weight Management Cat Food Picks
Royal Canin Weight Care Cat Food
Good news : No prescription medicine is required to provide your kitty-cat with the weight direction benefits of this over - the - counter diet . And because it ’s formulated by Royal Canin , a companionship known for panoptic alimentation trial , nutrition research , and quality ascendency , you’re able to bank that it will assist keep your kitty in shape . While not specify for significant exercising weight loss , this canonical weight support diet can assist the fair pussy ( with a dead body circumstance score between 4 - 6 ) lose a bit of weight or keep a healthy weighting .
Hills Science Diet Perfect Weight Cat Food
Hill ’s is another pet solid food company with boarded veterinary nutritionists on staff who formulate balanced and alimentary dieting , perform feeding trial , and control quality ascendency . This non - prescription option has added antioxidant and vitamin to support a cat ’s resistant system while simultaneously helping slimly sonorous cat assert a fitter weighting .
Purina Pro Plan Weight Management Cat Food
Designed for somewhat heavy or less active computerized axial tomography , this Weight Management rule is a non - prescription option in Purina ’s Pro Plan line of product designed to help big cat accomplish or maintain a healthy weight . It has 10 percent fewer calories than most other regular adult formulas , plus it ’s 20 percent lower in fat . Best of all , it ’s highly tasty to keep cats well-chosen while assist in mild weight unit loss and maintaining muscle mass . This Cartesian product also contains alive probiotics to optimize a happy bowel .
Switching to a Weight Management Food for Cats
Ready to make a switch to ensure your downlike felid father or stays fit ? Here are some additional factors to consider when switching to a weight management dieting for khat :
Questions to Ask Your Vet About Weight Management Cat Foods
Structure , accuracy , consistency , and veritable tracking are of import for any weight unit loss programme . Before and during your cat ’s free weight loss journey , here are some question prompts that preferent parent can ask their veterinarian . The answers may vary free-base on your cat ’s specific weight loss needs , health status , and lifestyle .
Best of hazard on your cat ’s weight loss journeying . As a pet parent , you ’re now invest to speak with your vet about how to help your pot in safely achieving their weight departure goals . With some meter and campaign , you could help tote up life to her years and long time to her life story !
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