Latest News
Patient: Augustus
December 5, 2022
This is Augustus a 3-year-old Tonkinese cat. Augustus has lived a life of luxury, being carried by his servant (7-year-old Madi pictured here) wherever his heart may desire, getting fed tid bits and table scraps and conning multiple family members into feeding him on a daily basis. At his annual health check 6 months ago, he weighed in at 7.5kg. He was given a body condition score of 6/9 which indicated Augustus was 30% overweight.
In veterinary medicine, we know that good nutrition and a healthy body weight can prevent many unnecessary diseases in animals. This prevents pain and suffering which leads to a better quality of life and a longer life-span. So, at Matamata Veterinary Services we provide advice on how to calculate a healthy weight for your pets and a plan on how to achieve this healthy weight.
Augustus’ owners were very dedicated to help him achieve a goal weight of 5.2kg. He was put onto a weight loss food and the amount to be fed daily was calculated. His owners measured this amount every morning on their kitchen scales and put it into a container, so that everyone in the family knew if he had been fed that day or not. Toys were allocated to help Augustus do more exercise and to make him work for his food (just like wild cats). We are extremely happy to announce that Augustus is achieving his weight loss goals and is now down to a much healthier 6.5kg.
Well done to Augustus and his family. Maintaining a healthy weight for your animals comes down to dedication and commitment from owners and the knowledge that keeping your animal at a healthy weight will help prevent future disease and allow you to enjoy your pet for longer.
See photo for some ways to encourage your cat to work for their food. This helps to increase calories burnt and build up muscle just like cats in the wild.
