Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for the overall well-being of both dogs and cats. Excess weight can lead to various health issues, reducing their quality of life. Royal Canin offers a range of weight management diets tailored to meet the specific needs of overweight pets. These diets are formulated to promote safe and effective weight loss while ensuring that pets receive all the essential nutrients they need.
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Satiety Support Weight Management
What is it?
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Satiety Support Weight Management Dry Dog Food is a specialized, veterinary-exclusive dry food designed to help overweight and obese dogs lose weight safely. It is formulated to reduce begging behavior and promote a feeling of fullness.
How it Works
This diet's effectiveness lies in its unique formulation:
- High Fiber Content: The high fiber content helps dogs feel full, reducing the urge to eat spontaneously throughout the day. This special blend of fibers helps satisfy hunger.
- Joint and Bone Support: It contains glucosamine and chondroitin to support joint and bone health, which are especially important for overweight dogs as excess weight puts additional stress on their joints. Targeted nutrients are included to support bones and joints.
- Balanced Nutrients: The diet ensures that all essential nutrient requirements are met during weight loss. This dry dog kibble is 100% complete and balanced.
- High Protein: High protein content helps maintain lean muscle mass as dogs lose weight and achieve their ideal body condition.
- Digestive Health: Soluble and insoluble fibers promote healthy digestion and optimal stool quality.
- Immune Support: Antioxidants are included to support a healthy immune system.
Clinical Results
Clinical trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of Royal Canin Satiety Support Weight Management Dry Dog Food. In one study, 97% of dogs lost weight within three months, and begging behavior was controlled in 83% of the dogs.
Ideal Candidates
This diet is specifically formulated for adult dogs who are overweight or obese.
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Royal Canin Weight Management for Cats
Factors Influencing Weight Gain in Cats
Several factors can contribute to weight gain in cats:
- Breed: Certain breeds, such as American Shorthair cats, are more prone to becoming overweight.
- Age: As cats age, their energy levels decrease, increasing the risk of weight gain.
- Gender: Male cats are more likely to gain weight than females.
- Spaying or Neutering: These procedures can affect sex hormones, leading to excess weight gain.
- Indoor Lifestyle: Indoor cats may not get enough physical exercise, contributing to weight gain.
- Overfeeding: Feeding cats more than the recommended amount or giving them excessive treats can cause weight gain.
Understanding a Cat's Body Condition Score
A body condition score (BCS) is a valuable tool for assessing whether a cat is underweight, overweight, or at an ideal weight. It involves evaluating the cat's physical appearance and feeling for fat deposits. Veterinarians can help pet owners learn how to use the BCS system. It concentrates on the look and feel of your cat.
How Nutrition Supports Weight Management in Cats
Providing a nutritionally balanced diet is essential for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight in cats. Rather than simply restricting portion sizes, a tailored diet with targeted nutrients can better support a cat's body during weight management.
The key steps to managing a cat's weight include:
- Shape: Determine if the cat is under or overweight using a body condition score.
- Activity: Ensure the cat gets enough exercise, which varies based on age, weight, breed, and health conditions.
- Portioning: Feed the cat the correct portion size to avoid overfeeding.
- Growth: Establish and maintain healthy habits from kittenhood to prevent unnecessary weight gain.
Royal Canin Satiety Support for Cats
If a cat is overweight, a veterinarian may recommend a weight loss program that includes a specialized diet like Royal Canin Satiety Support.
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Key features of Satiety Support diets include:
- High Natural Fiber: These diets are rich in natural fiber, helping cats feel full between meals.
- Joint Health Support: They contain nutrients like glucosamine, chondroitin, and omega-3 fatty acids to support joint health.
- High Protein: The high protein content helps maintain muscle mass during weight loss.
- Begging Control: Clinical trials have shown that Satiety Support diets can effectively control begging behavior in cats.
Royal Canin Satiety Support diets are available in both wet and dry formulations.
Royal Canin Weight Management Range for Cats
Royal Canin offers three categories within its Weight Management range:
- Weight Care Diets: Suitable for cats with a body condition score of 4, 5, or 6, these diets help achieve and maintain a healthy weight. They provide a balanced diet for adult cats prone to weight gain and help limit additional weight gain with an ideal fiber blend.
- Satiety Support Diets: Tailored for cats with a body condition score of 7, 8, or 9, these diets have a unique blend of fibers to help cats feel full between meals during weight loss. These diets are available exclusively through veterinarians.
- Weight Control Diets: These diets are designed for adult cats that have been spayed or neutered and have a tendency to gain weight.
General Principles of Weight Loss in Cats
A specially formulated food can help cats lose weight safely. The best weight loss foods for cats are typically low in calories and fat, with a higher nutrient density per serving. Many also contain extra fiber to help cats feel full while eating less.
What to Look for in Cat Foods for Weight Loss
When selecting a weight loss food for cats, consider the following:
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- AAFCO Nutritional Adequacy Statement: Ensure the food meets the nutritional needs of cats based on their life stage, as indicated by the AAFCO statement.
- Guaranteed Analysis and Nutrient Profiles: Examine the percentages of protein, fat, and fiber to ensure the recipe meets the cat's needs. Weight loss foods generally contain low to moderate fat and high fiber.
- Ingredients List: Animal proteins should be the first ingredients listed, followed by whole complex carbohydrates for added fiber.
- Expert Formulations: Choose foods from brands that employ a full-time board-certified veterinary nutritionist or a PhD-level animal nutritionist.
- Manufacturing Standards: Ensure the brand is transparent about its quality control measures.
Additional Tips for Weight Management
- Wet vs. Dry Food: Wet food has a higher moisture content, which can help cats feel full and stay hydrated. Comparing wet and dry food requires converting wet food values to a dry matter basis.
- Fiber: Added fiber from sources like powdered cellulose can help cats stay full for longer, reducing begging.
- Salt: Some dry foods contain salt to encourage cats to drink more water, which can help them feel full.
- Calorie Control: Monitor calorie intake and adjust portions as needed.
- Treats: Use a portion of the cat's kibble as a treat to avoid disrupting their diet.
- Carbohydrates: Complex carbohydrates like brown rice and whole corn are preferable to processed carbohydrates.
- L-Carnitine: This nutrient helps burn fat.
Weight Loss Foods for Senior Cats
Senior cats are more prone to health problems, especially if they are overweight. Maintaining a healthy weight can improve their quality of life and delay chronic diseases. Senior cat foods often contain ingredients like fish oil, glucosamine, and chondroitin to support mobility and reduce inflammation.
Protein Sources
Both budget and premium weight loss cat foods may contain cost-effective protein sources like meat byproducts and byproduct meals, which are nutritionally adequate for pets.
Royal Canin Satiety Support Dry Cat Food: An Example
Ingredients
Chicken by-product meal, corn, wheat, corn gluten meal, powdered cellulose, pea fiber, natural flavors, chicken fat, dried chicory root, potassium chloride, salt, sodium bisulfate, sodium pyrophosphate, DL-methionine, fish oil, powdered psyllium seed husk, calcium sulfate, choline chloride, monosodium phosphate, vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), niacin supplement, biotin, riboflavin supplement, D-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin A acetate, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement], taurine, trace minerals [zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, manganese proteinate, ferrous sulfate, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate, copper proteinate], L-carnitine, marigold extract (Tagetes erecta L.), rosemary extract, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid.
Guaranteed Analysis
- Crude Protein (min.): 33.0%
- Crude Fat (min.): 8.3%
- Crude Fiber (max.): 11.0%
- Moisture (max.): 8.0%
- Calcium (max.): 1.56%
- Phosphorus (max.): 1.6%
- L-Carnitine (min.): 140 mg/kg
Calorie Content
This diet contains 3167 kilocalories of metabolizable energy (ME) per kilogram or 250 kilocalories ME per cup on an as fed basis (calculated).
Feeding Instructions
Optimal feeding amounts may vary according to a catâs activity level and environment. It is recommended to feed a cat 2 to 4 equal portions of the diet per day. Consulting a veterinarian for specific feeding guidelines is crucial. Fresh drinking water should always be available.