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Wednesday, October 09, 2002

Our kitchen is apparently the most wonderful room in the house, for that's where Mickey spends most of his waking hours.

While other Labrador retrievers use their highly evolved sense of smell to find lost children, Mickey puts his nose in every nook and cranny in search of crumbs.

He has stolen food scraps from the trash can and a four-pound roast from the kitchen counter. The big chocolate Lab, so lively and quick, has filched Christmas Eve cookies intended for Santa and candy earmarked for Halloween trick-or-treaters.

It's hard to resist a food-obsessed dog, but resist we must, for we are killing with kindness the dogs that we love.

A recently completed 14-year study has found that dogs on reduced-calorie diets live a median 1.8 years longer than dogs allowed to eat more.

The skinnier dogs were also slower to develop osteoarthritis and other chronic and genetic diseases, the study says.

The study was done by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Nestle Purina PetCare Co., the University of Illinois, Cornell University and Michigan State University.

Forty-eight Labrador retrievers from seven litters were used in the study. Half of the dogs consumed 25 percent fewer calories each day.

Doggie dieters had a median life span of 13 years, while the other Labs "were uniformly overweight and had a median life span of 11.2 years."

By the time they were 2 years old, six of the 24 chubby Labs had developed radiographic osteoarthritis of the hips. Only one of the young calorie-restricted Labs had the painful, crippling condition.

By the age of 10, 19 of the 24 dogs on unrestricted diets had hip osteoarthritis. Only six of the dogs on low-cal diets had arthritic hips.

"Dogs in the calorie-restricted group didn't require treatment for osteoarthritis until a mean age of 13.3 years, fully three years later than the dogs in the control group," said Gail K. Smith, professor of orthopedic surgery at Penn and chair of the Department of Clinical Studies at the School of Veterinary Medicine's Philadelphia campus. "This represents a substantial boost in quality of life."

Keeping disease at bay

Virtually every breed of dog is plagued with breed-specific health problems. They are born with a predisposition to certain ailments.

Mixed-breed dogs are not necessarily sturdier or healthier, for they can inherit the health problems of their purebred ancestors.

"Diet can either mitigate or exacerbate the expression of genetic diseases," Smith says.

Many dog owners are unwilling to admit their dogs are overweight. Other owners simply don't see it.

Mickey's friend Luna, a Mt. Lebanon pug, is not overweight, according to the people in her family. She's big-boned.

To be fair, it can be hard to tell a dog is gaining weight when you see it every day because the extra ounces and pounds are acquired gradually.

How can you tell if your dog weighs too much?

Dogs should have "palpable ribs and an obvious waistline," Smith says.

Dietary restriction has been shown to have a positive effect on the life span of rodents and invertebrates, the study says.

"Dogs are the only large mammals for which a diet-restriction study has been completed. Similar studies involving primates are ongoing."

Those of us who own dogs who are always hungry will appreciate this comment from Smith:

"While simply reducing a dog's food intake, as in this study, can be effective in maintaining a healthy weight, this approach often leads to begging -- a behavior that many owners find themselves unable to resist in their canine companions."

Her advice is "avoid giving dogs too many high-calorie treats and consider a brand of balanced dog food formulated to be low in calories."

Virtually every pet-food manufacturer now has doggy diet formulas. The dog gets fewer calories in about the same amount of food. Ask your veterinarian to recommend one.

Helpful hints

Here are tips I've gleaned from veterinarians, breeders and experienced dog owners:

Don't subject a dog to a weight loss program "cold turkey." They really will be hungry, and they'll drive you crazy.

Changing the diet all at once can cause constipation or diarrhea in some dogs. Measure the "old" food into the bowl, take a little bit out, and replace it with the "new" formula. Gradually increase the amount of new food.

Weigh or measure what the dog eats every day and reduce the amount very gradually.

Even nutritional treats, like high-quality dog biscuits, have fat and calories. Put a day-long supply of treats in a bowl and parcel them out to the dog over the course of the day. Many a dog has gained weight because every family member dips into the treat box all day long.

Break dog biscuit treats in half or even into fourths. Mickey would rather have four small treats, spread out over a period of time, than one whole biscuit followed by a long, treat-free period.

A low-calorie dog diet can be too low in fat, which can lead to flaky, itchy skin or constipation. If this happens, consult your vet. A tablespoon of butter or vegetable oil once or twice a week works for some dieting dogs.