Why is obesity food not sold in supermarkets?

Teaandcoffee

I was at our local vet just before Christmas when a lady walked in with a beautiful but very overweight labrador. She was looking for obesity food but the receptionist said she could not give it to her as she would have to see the vet first. The woman was annoyed and said she did not have the money to have the dog examined by the vet.

I'm just wondering why this obesity food is not widely available?

From what I see around, we definitely have a problem with overweight pets in this country especially cats and dogs.

DBB

Teaandcoffee wrote: »

I was at our local vet just before Christmas when a lady walked in with a beautiful but very overweight labrador. She was looking for obesity food but the receptionist said she could not give it to her as she would have to see the vet first. The woman was annoyed and said she did not have the money to have the dog examined by the vet.

I'm just wondering why this obesity food is not widely available?

From what I see around, we definitely have a problem with overweight pets in this country especially cats and dogs.

In fairness, there can be some serious medical repercussions from carrying out a weight-loss program for obese dogs and cats in the wrong way. It's one of those things that is best done under vet supervision as a result.

andreac

Most specific obesity foods are only available by prescription, hence not allowed to be sold in a supermarket.

There are plenty of "Light" versions of all different brands of food available though so maybe that would be an option for you.

If people fed their dogs less and exercised them regularly then there wouldnt be an issue with over weight dogs. So many owners feed their dogs so much crap and treats when its not necessary at all.

tk123

Teaandcoffee wrote: »

The woman was annoyed and said she did not have the money to have the dog examined by the vet.

If she fed the dog less she'd save a whole lot of money :pac::pac: Not to mention her vets bills when it starts having joint problems! The amount of people who tell me my guy is underweight because they're so used to seeing fat ass dogs!

Sigma Force

Cheek of them they just want to make more €€s by saying that, ok if the woman was worried about her dog she probably would make an appointment but if the owner knows their dog needs to just loose weight ..most dogs get a general health check anyway with their boosters so no need to make a special appointment..then the vets should of just sold her the food.

No way to advise the lady now but I would say to her that either feed less, maybe substitute some of the food with some boiled carrot and brown rice.

Labs are notorious for putting on weight with age, but I mean you can buy Burns high oats or other foods over the counter at the vets without having to make any appointment that's nuts.

We'll all pay for our vet visits but they were trying to take advantage.

There are foods in the supermarket for senior dogs basically usually dogs over the age of 7 or 8 which would be lower in calories I can imagine.

I just decrease or increase our dogs food, winter time they need the calories but summer time their appetite slows down if it's very humid but they are more active so it's a matter of balancing it out. Hope that lady got sorted in the end, oh the cheek.

Vince32

Xmas can be a financially challenging time for alot of people, but the vet could of spared 3 minutes from the schedule and given the lady some practical advice, and book diet plan for the new year, so the customer, and unhealthy dog wouldn't feel abandoned in a time of need.
And there are plenty of non-profit people too, the blue cross springs to mind €15 for a consult, any way you cut it, where there's a will, there's a way.

tk123

Actually on reflection I apologise for my slaggy post! I've just remembered that ours does a weight clinic for free - they have a photo of my guy when he was a little baby sitting in my kitchen scales up on the notice board lol for it ...he was 9 lbs. They weigh at pretty much every visit in our place too and have charts on the notice board of what the treat compares to for a dog and a person so say 2 biscuits for the dog = a bunch of hamburgers for a person. It's posts like this that make me realize how lucky we are to have our vet.

Shanao

Maybe the dog wasn't on the obesity food before and the vet wanted to see the dog to determine if it was simply overfeeding or perhaps a thyroid problem or something else? Or maybe the dog had already been on the obesity food for a specific amount of time as these foods are not supposed to be fed long term but for a certain amount of weeks and the vet would need to see the dog before deciding whether it should be continued with or not. I think its a bit much to jump right in and claim the vet was simply looking for money by them wanting the dog seen first?

Wibbs

Teaandcoffee wrote: »

I'm just wondering why this obesity food is not widely available?

I'm just wondering why this obesity food exists in the first place? Serious question. Feed the dog(or cat) smaller portions of the same food, ease up on the treats and gently increase the activity levels.

DBB wrote: »

In fairness, there can be some serious medical repercussions from carrying out a weight-loss program for obese dogs and cats in the wrong way. It's one of those things that is best done under vet supervision as a result.

Really? Why? Again serious question. Sure if the dog has bollexed joints etc, suddenly dragging them for walks across the hills is not on, but otherwise? Feeding smaller portions and cutting down on empty calorie treats is going to cause "serious medical repercussions"? Sounds a bit dubious to me TBH.

Discodog

Wibbs wrote: »

I'm just wondering why this obesity food exists in the first place? Serious question. Feed the dog(or cat) smaller portions of the same food, ease up on the treats and gently increase the activity levels.

Vets earn a big chunk of income from "specialist" diets. I can guarantee the every time that I am in the Vets someone comes in to pick up a bag of Hills. Provided that the weight is not the result of illness then reducing the existing food should be a better option rather than changing to a new diet.

Exercise can become cyclical. Dog gains weight, puts stress on joints & then can't walk far to lose weight. Going back to a comment by DBB on another thread regarding Pet owners wanting an easy option, I wonder if weight loss is just another example.

mymo

My own bitch was putting on weight and I had a chat with my vet during a routine visit, he gave her a look over and said she's fine and healthy but a little over weight. He told me he doesn't stock diet foods or "special" foods (or food in general), just the kidney foods and a few other medical diet ones. He said the reps try and push them into stocking the others regularly and he would get so much for every bag sold, but he doesn't like that idea and just tells people what to look for in a good food.
I know why my girl was putting on weight, she was finishing the other dogs food, the vet said just cut his food too as he seemed a good weight so maybe he needed less, and she'd have nothing to "clean up", that and a couple of small changes and she's almost normal now.
I actually know someone changed vet as he told them that they were killing their dog by over feeding and not walking him, and just needed to stop giving the dog 3 people meals a day plus 2 dog food ones and tea and biscuits. Some people just can't see it.
That person is now paying €60 a bag for special food and the dog is getting heavier. (they are still continuing the people food and a pack of biscuits a day)

Zapperzy

Wibbs wrote: »

Teaandcoffee wrote: »

I'm just wondering why this obesity food is not widely available?

I'm just wondering why this obesity food exists in the first place? Serious question. Feed the dog(or cat) smaller portions of the same food, ease up on the treats and gently increase the activity levels.

DBB wrote: »

In fairness, there can be some serious medical repercussions from carrying out a weight-loss program for obese dogs and cats in the wrong way. It's one of those things that is best done under vet supervision as a result.

Really? Why? Again serious question. Sure if the dog has bollexed joints etc, suddenly dragging them for walks across the hills is not on, but otherwise? Feeding smaller portions and cutting down on empty calorie treats is going to cause "serious medical repercussions"? Sounds a bit dubious to me TBH.

The line of thought is that feeding less of the regular food also means feeding less of the vitamins etc in the food and over time may lead to deficencies, also that obesity food contains high fibre so leaves the dog feeling fuller and less likely to beg for food.

Also from what I can remember if cats lose too much weight too fast then there are medical repercussions (liver lipidosis or something like that, typing quickly on the phone so can't check).

Discodog

If our proposed Animal Welfare Bill follows the UK version then we may end up with cruelty prosecutions for overweight pets.

I can understand the Veterinary argument but I am sure that one could easily feed a vitamin supplement. I am not too sure about the fibre reducing begging. Dogs only beg if it achieves a successful result.

Millem

I am just back from tesco in dundrum and saw a bag of hills prescription diet i.d dry cat food on the shelf! Only one bag and couldn't see price, tried to find a scanner but assistant told me they were all broken.!

Wibbs

Discodog wrote: »

I can understand the Veterinary argument but I am sure that one could easily feed a vitamin supplement. I am not too sure about the fibre reducing begging. Dogs only beg if it achieves a successful result.

For me the vitamin aspect doesn't make that much sense. If they're on the same food with the same vitamins, they're getting the same ratio, just in lower amounts. Hardly deficient amounts I would have thought. If this was the case all those folks on post xmas diets would be advised to supplement or face "serious medical repercussions". The high fibre aspect probably would lead to weight loss, given a higher transition through the gut of a carnivore who wouldn't eat much fibre in the wild. As omnivores with longer guts and slower transition times fibre is good for humans and we're rightfully told we're not eating nearly enough. This naturally seems to make people believe this is applicable to our animals. I would contend it's not. I've had a vet tell me with a straight face that carnivores eat a lot of fibre in the wild. They really don't. Ask any zoologist. Then again they're also likely to believe that too much protein is bad for dogs too. Doesn't seem to harm any wild carnivores. Quite the opposite in fact. Then again we're back to the pet food manufacturers. Grains and fibre are cheap, meat is not. Funny how the "healthy dog food" ratios end up, isn't it?

DBB

Wibbs wrote: »

I'm just wondering why this obesity food exists in the first place? Serious question. Feed the dog(or cat) smaller portions of the same food, ease up on the treats and gently increase the activity levels.

One huge factor, in fact, probably by far the biggest factor for successful weight loss in pets is owner compliance. In most cases and in the absence of underlying health conditions which cause obesity, it is the owner who causes the obesity, and it is they who must implement the weight-loss program. This can be extremely difficult, because many owners of overweight and obese pets do not judge their pets to be overweight at all, and such owners find it difficult to accept the role they're playing in the problem.
Food for obese pets contains higher fibre, usually higher protein, and less fat. So the dog still gets the same sized portions and meets satiety after eating, a really important factor in weight-loss programs as it stops the dog from displaying hungry behaviour. Fibre is simply to bulk out the food and to aid satiety, it is not meant to be a "nutrient" as such in a weight-loss program.
If you simply reduce the portions of normal food, the dog feels hungrier, and tends to display more begging and more "hungry", restless, agitated behaviour. The owner is far, far more likely to give in to these increased behaviours, and are more likely to themselves becomes distressed by their dog's distress. The result is the equivalent of "comfort eating" for the dog, overfeeding, and owner drop-out from the weight-loss program.
In addition, obesity foods contain ingredients to prevent some of the health problems associated with weight loss

Really? Why? Again serious question. Sure if the dog has bollexed joints etc, suddenly dragging them for walks across the hills is not on, but otherwise? Feeding smaller portions and cutting down on empty calorie treats is going to cause "serious medical repercussions"? Sounds a bit dubious to me TBH.

When owners decide their dog is going to lose weight, they often act as many people do when they want to lose weight themselves: they try to lose too much too soon by reducing the food, and consequent nutrients, too much. In my post which you have quoted, I said that if weight-loss programs are not carried out correctly (in most cases, this means they're done too fast), there is a greater risk of medical problems: I did not suggest that a balanced and considered weight-loss program would elicit the same effects, and it is important that readers realise this.
For cats, rapid wight loss can cause hepatic lipidosis.
For dogs and cats, rapid weight loss via inappropriate diet and/or exercise levels results in muscle-wastage/atrophy (through excessive protein loss). Hence, obesity foods tend to contain more protein so that muscle-tone is maintained whilst fat loss continues. For the record, muscle wastage and consequent weakness and lethargy also reduce owner compliance.
It has also been shown that dogs which lose weight too quickly tend to "rebound" far more often than dogs who lose weight at an acceptable, slower rate, and are just as obese within months of starting a weight-loss program. Again, this brings owner-compliance into the fold, and the chances of the dog ever successfully losing weight, and maintaining the weight loss, are slim.
There may also be implications around hormonal imbalances or formation of gallstones with rapid weight loss.
And, on top of all this, an owner getting too enthusiastic and suddenly dragging their cardiopulmonary-compromised, "bollexed" jointed, possibly endocrine-compromised dog for walks across the hills is a very real danger to a dog's health, just as it is in humans.

There is no doubt at all, it has been shown experimentally and by wide anecdotal evidence, that it is essential that obese dogs lose weight under veterinary supervision. The weight-loss program for an obese animal is hard work, it can take quite a long time, and owner compiance is far, far higher if they're signed up to weight-loss clinics with their vet and vet staff.