Obesity

fat cat

Excess weight is a serious health problem for dogs and cats and is common in many countries. The two main causes of obesity are too much food and too little exercise. Other contributing factors can be due to hormonal influences, certain genetic factors, and other disease processes.

If you pet is carrying extra weight, it can:

  1. Increase the risk of heart disease by forcing the heart to work harder.
  2. Increase the risk of arthritis as extra weight can stress the joints, cause joint pain, and make it harder for your pet to move around comfortably.
  3. Obesity can cause breathing problems, skin and hair coat problems.
  4. Especially in cats, obesity frequently leads to diabetes.

All of these problems can make your pet uncomfortable and limit the way they interact with you and other family members.

Treatment is to rule out and treat any medical causes, such as hypothyroidism. Reducing caloric intake and increasing exercise can help your pet successfully lose weight. Lifestyle changes and a weight loss program are essential. Your veterinarian can help determine if your pet is too heavy and provide guidelines for achieving their ideal weight. Slentrol is an oral weight loss drug for obese dogs that are not able to lose weight by other means.

cat

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Location & Hours

Location

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Office Hours

Our Regular Schedule

Northwood Office

Monday:

7:30 am-6:00 pm

Tuesday:

7:30 am-7:00 pm

Wednesday:

7:30 am-7:00 pm

Thursday:

7:30 am-7:00 pm

Friday:

7:30 am-6:00 pm

Saturday:

9:00 am-1:00 pm

Sunday:

Closed

If you have an Emergency with your pet during our open hours, please call 603-942-8368 and be prepared to bring your pet in immediately. If you need to have emergency medical attention when we are closed, please call CAVES in Concord at 603- 227-1199 or Port City in Portsmouth at 603-433-0056. Both hospitals will keep us up to date on your pet’s care so we can coordinate treatment, if needed.

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