2 weeks Ago By Dr. John De Jong
Dear Dr. John, My 3-year-old cat is a spayed female, and she does like to eat. At her one-year checkup, my vet noticed that she had gotten overweight at 16 pounds.
He suggested that I put her on a diet over the following year and I did just that, getting her back down to nine pounds by feeding her less food and of a lower calorie variety. However, she started vomiting periodically since she seemed to ingest her food too quickly and I changed her feeding schedule from twice a day to six smaller portions per day. She just had her annual checkup and now she’s back to 11 pounds.
My vet suggested cutting back to four times a day of smaller portions and to get her weight back down to around nine pounds. Does this all make sense? She is otherwise healthy and happy. Would you recommend that I do anything else? J.
A. Dear J.A.
, I concur with the advice that your veterinarian has shared with you. You might choose to make it easier on yourself to feed her three times daily instead of four but do whatever it takes to get her to slow down how quickly she eats, and more frequent feedings can often help that to happen as the cat has her appetite satiated. A common cause of vomiting in cats is from eating too fast but another is the presence of hairballs, so one must consider that as well.
Getting her back down to nine pounds would be of benefit to her both short and long term. Overweight cats can develop all kinds of issues such as diabetes, heart disease, and even orthopedic issues. Whenever a cat is placed on a weight loss program, it is important not to try and get the weight to come off too quickly as that, in and of itself, can lead to issues such as fatty liver syndrome known as hepatic lipidosis.
You may also need to balance everything by selecting a good regular diet for her. Every cat has their own metabolism, and it is important to work with what you have. I am sure that you can work with your veterinarian on finding the right diet for her.
It sounds as if you are on the right path. Dr. John de Jong is President of the World Veterinary Association.
He owns and operates the Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic and can be reached at 781-899-9994..
