Signs to look for
- you cannot feel the ribs
- the waist has disappeared
- oval-shaped seen from above
Why it happens
Feeling for the ribs by hand — the 5-point body condition score — is the basic measure. But BCS alone misses muscle loss. Check the muscle over the temples, shoulder blades, lumbar spine and pelvis as well.
Animals with a high BCS have fewer short-chain fatty acids than animals in ideal condition. Too little fermentable soluble fibre means fewer of the microbes that produce them, and weight and triglycerides climb in a self-reinforcing loop.
In that state, cutting portions alone does not shed weight easily. The first step in weight loss is not the deficit — it is normalising the gut.
The same amount of food split into more meals puts on less weight. Feeding frequency is a variable too.
Signs that mean go to the vet
Never suddenly starve an overweight cat. Fat floods the liver at once, and hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver) becomes an emergency within days
Some breeds gain weight far more readily than others — Beagles, Labradors and Dachshunds among them
Related ingredients
Related behaviour
General nutrition information. It does not replace a diagnosis or a prescription. If your animal has a medical condition or is on medication, talk to your veterinarian first.