BLACKSBURG, Va. (WSLS 10) - A group of students at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech recently completed an animal health challenge much closer to home than their usual classroom and clinical experiences: They put their overweight pets on a diet.
Last month, the nine cats and one dog participating in the Purina Overweight Management Challenge, had their final weigh-in to find out which of their furry friends made the most progress over the past six months.
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The winner was Cricket, a feisty, black-and-white short-haired cat owned by fourth-year veterinary student Liddy Hepner of Hydes, Maryland.
"Cricket lost about 2 kilograms or just over 4 pounds," said challenge organizer Courtney Walski of Chesapeake, Virginia, a third-year veterinary student. "It was about 30 percent of his body weight."
Each animal was fed Purina ProPlan OM, a therapeutic diet specifically formulated for overweight dogs and cats.
Organizers say all of the animals lost weight during the challenge. Most of the participants lost around 7 percent of their body weight, and some of them began a maintenance diet after hitting their goal weight. They say pet owners who wish to replicate these results should follow sound nutrition advice.
"First, they should check with their vet to make sure they understand exactly how much weight their pet needs to lose," said third-year veterinary student Ashley Moye of Chesapeake, Virginia. "It's also important that their pets lose weight at an appropriate rate. We aim for about 1 percent per week. Anything faster than that is less than ideal for health purposes."
According to a recent study from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, an estimated 53 percent of dogs and 58 percent of cats are overweight or obese. However, many owners do not even realize that their pets have a problem. The World Small Animal Veterinary Association hasbody condition score charts on its website to help both cat and dog owners assess their pets' weight.