аЯрЁБс > ўџ 0 2 ўџџџ / џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС '` №П Ў bjbjLULU . .? .? Ў џџ џџ џџ Є Є Є Є Є Є Є Є И @ @ @ @ T И d Ж l l l l l G G G у х х х х х х $ h т Є G G G G G Є Є l l л л л л G Є l Є l у л G у л л Є Є л l ` `0пЭ @ ] F л з 4 0 d л d Ѓ . d л л d Є _ x G G л G G G G G б G G G d G G G G И И И ф Є И И И И И И Є Є Є Є Є Є џџџџ Ask A Vet: How to Watch your Animals Weight Sunday, April 1, 2012 Dear Dr. Weldys, How much should my pet weigh? I think he looks a little heavy but I'mnot sure what his weight should be. Dear Reader, A healthy weight is just as important in animals as it is in people.Unfortunately, there is a lot of individual variation, even withinspecific breeds, and picking the right number isn't always the easiestway to go. Thankfully, a great system has been developed, called a BodyCondition Score or BCS, that can help you determine if your animal isan appropriate weight. A specific BCS scale has been determined foranimals from dairy cows to dogs and your veterinarian can go over thespecific points so that you can monitor your pet yourself but we'll goover some basics here. For dogs, the BCS ranges from 1-9. An ideal BCS is a 4 or 5. If youdetermine your dog could stand to shed a few pounds, talk to yourveterinarian about their diet and level of physical activity. Just likepeople, both of these can be adjusted to change weight. There arespecific weight loss or management diets but often times any food isappropriate in the correct quantity, and feeding regular, measured,meals twice a day can make a huge difference. And just like people,dogs require exercise as well. This might mean short walks down thestreet or hour long fetch sessions depending on your dog. There is a BCS system for horses as well. The scale is again from 1-9with the ideal horse at a BCS around 5. Again you should consult withyour veterinarian as different horses might have a different ideal BCSto shoot for as the purpose of your horse may affect the ideal BCS.Weight tapes are useful for monitoring weight loss and weight gain,especially if the same tape is applied at the exact same point on thehorse. The weight given by the tape is not necessarily 100% accuratebut will give you a good baseline for monitoring changes. Regulatingthe diet of a horse can be tricky with pasture playing an importantrole and some horses are predisposed to laminitis on lush green grassso each horse's individual needs need to be taken into considerationand you should consult with your vet before making any dramatic feedchanges. Always make changes to a horse's diet very gradually in orderto avoid colic. Fortunately there is a wide variety of options available today as faras feed is concerned and your veterinarian can help determine the rightone for your pet. If regulating diet and proper exercise do not seem tohelp your animal lose weight, there are medical conditions that may becontributing and a thorough evaluation and workup by a vet candetermine if this is the case. The same is true if your animal ishaving trouble keeping weight on. The most important thing to rememberis to keep an eye on not just the number, but the look of yourindividual pet and focusing more on their body condition than thenumber on the scale. -Dr. Kathryn Ernst , - / 7 > C D E F G X Y Z Ф Ч г д е ьиЦьЖІЦqЦ`RD3D3D3 hTp hTp CJ OJ QJ ^J aJ hTp CJ OJ QJ ^J aJ hx[Г CJ OJ QJ ^J aJ hZ hZ CJ OJ QJ ^J aJ )h;C hЩaS B*CJ OJ QJ ^J aJ ph h"rт 6B*OJ QJ ^J ph hЩaS 6B*OJ QJ ^J ph ho^н 6B*OJ QJ ^J ph hш*ў 6B*OJ QJ ^J ph #hЩaS B*CJ OJ QJ ^J aJ ph &ho^н 5B*CJ$ OJ QJ ^J aJ$ ph &hЩaS 5B*CJ$ OJ QJ ^J aJ$ ph - . / E F G Y Z Х Ц Ч д Ў ї ч ї п п к е е а а а а а а а gdTp gd#% gdЩaS $a$gdЩaS $а0§^а`0§a$gdЩaS $a$gdЩaS Ў § е к $ Ў ђсђсђсђсас hTp h6 CJ OJ QJ ^J aJ hTp hTp CJ OJ QJ ^J aJ hTp CJ OJ QJ ^J aJ , 1hАа/ Ар=!А"А# $ %А АаАаа @ @ёџ @ ЩaS N o r m a l CJ _HaJ mH sH tH D A@ђџЁ D D e f a u l t P a r a g r a p h F o n t R i@ѓџГ R T a b l e N o r m a l і 4ж l 4ж aі ( k@єџС ( N o L i s t Ў џџџџ - . / E F G Y Z Х Ц Ч д А 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 E F G Z А Њ 0 0 ЁYЈ 0 0 Ј 0 0 Ђ 00 Ђ 00 е Ў Ў Ў №8 № @ ё џџ џ ї № № №0 №( № № №B № S № П Ы џ ? № P W А 9 Л М џ н о А 3 3 3 3 3 , 7 > А А nj 0ўs iё 0ўs ЯVV 0ўs J?Э" 0ўs {8 0ўs У% ? 0ўs к~