Hi All,
I have a few questions about kitty weight-loss. My cat, Mia, weighs 15.2 lbs. Vet was concerned about her continuous weight gain and prescribed Hill's Feline R/D dry food. I have been mixing the new R/D in with her old Hill's regular for several months (in measured amounts, decreasing the old and increasing the new). Went back to vet yesterday, and she hasn't lost one ounce. New instructions are to feed 1/3 cup of the R/D twice a day and no more original Hill's dry.
My questions are:
Has anyone had luck with using the R/D dry for weight loss?
There is a lot of debate on the internet about the carbohydrates in dry food and that owners should feed canned only for health and weight loss. Has anyone tried the canned-only approach and/or seen any luck with that?
My vet said that he had one or two cats that have lost weight with canned only. Mia doesn't really like canned food, and I like the convenience of dry since I travel a lot. I'd love some advice/thoughts!
Thanks, Anne (and Mia a.k.a. Miss Chunky)
Kitty Weight-Loss
You have to take the "controversy" of dry vs canned with a lot of salt. There are good and bad about both. As for weight loss, I have yet to see a peer-reviewed study indicating that canned food is more superior than dry for weight loss. However, there is much more evidence that weight gain in most (indoor-only) cats is due to inactivity and lifestyle and over-feeding, as opposed to type of food fed.
She may not have lost weight due to the fact that you were still feeding her the regular food. In weight management, it is best to feed only ONE food designed for weight loss, and nothing else.
If you want to try the canned version of the R/D as well as the dry, your vet will have to calculate each measurement for each food, to be fed on a daily basis. You can't just give her say, a 1/8 cup of canned food, then say a 1/2 cup of dry, it has to be calculated specifically for her daily intake and calorie intake.
R/D may be suitable for safe and gradual weight loss, but also ask him about his experience with Hill's Rx M/D...while this is generally designed for diabetic cats, it is often used in overweight cats, and aids metabolism. Worth it to ask him about it. It's also in my opinion, more palatable to cats than the R/D.
Also, get MONTHLY weight checks with your vet, not every few months. Most vets do not charge just for a weight check.
Increase her activity/playtime sessions. Start out with just 5 minutes twice a day, by using interactive toys that encourage her to reach, stretch, trot, etc. After a couple weeks, increase the activity to 10 minutes, twice a day. After that, it generally is not necessary, nor advisable, to increase playtime sessions beyond 10 minutes, twice a day. Be consistent. BUT, do NOT allow her to overexhert herself or to overdue it that she's breathing heavily, panting, or seems to tire too easily. Playtime should not be so rigorous as that, just enough to get her active and moving her muscle groups.
She may not have lost weight due to the fact that you were still feeding her the regular food. In weight management, it is best to feed only ONE food designed for weight loss, and nothing else.
If you want to try the canned version of the R/D as well as the dry, your vet will have to calculate each measurement for each food, to be fed on a daily basis. You can't just give her say, a 1/8 cup of canned food, then say a 1/2 cup of dry, it has to be calculated specifically for her daily intake and calorie intake.
R/D may be suitable for safe and gradual weight loss, but also ask him about his experience with Hill's Rx M/D...while this is generally designed for diabetic cats, it is often used in overweight cats, and aids metabolism. Worth it to ask him about it. It's also in my opinion, more palatable to cats than the R/D.
Also, get MONTHLY weight checks with your vet, not every few months. Most vets do not charge just for a weight check.
Increase her activity/playtime sessions. Start out with just 5 minutes twice a day, by using interactive toys that encourage her to reach, stretch, trot, etc. After a couple weeks, increase the activity to 10 minutes, twice a day. After that, it generally is not necessary, nor advisable, to increase playtime sessions beyond 10 minutes, twice a day. Be consistent. BUT, do NOT allow her to overexhert herself or to overdue it that she's breathing heavily, panting, or seems to tire too easily. Playtime should not be so rigorous as that, just enough to get her active and moving her muscle groups.
..........Traci
Re: Kitty Weight-Loss
Thanks, Traci. I knew you would have some good advice. 
We will do the monthly weight checks--my vet did stress that to me also and said to bring her in anytime for a weight check.
We'll try to play more. She already loves to play every morning and won't let me read the paper until we do so!
Anne
We will do the monthly weight checks--my vet did stress that to me also and said to bring her in anytime for a weight check.
We'll try to play more. She already loves to play every morning and won't let me read the paper until we do so!
Anne