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TextFairfax County Celebrates National Pet Week
Fairfax County Police Department
Public Information Office
4100 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, Va. 22030
703-246-2253. TTY 703-204-2264. Fax 703-246-4253
FCPD-PIO@fairfaxcounty.gov
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police
Press Release/National Pet Week/MLH
May 3, 2010
Fairfax County Celebrates
National Pet Week
Pets and People – Healthy Together
Fairfax County will celebrate National Pet Week from May 2 – 8, 2010. The theme of the week is “Pets and People—Healthy Together.” The goal of highlighting the week is to encourage people and their pets to get active and remain fit.
A proclamation set forth by Board of Supervisor Chairman Sharon Bulova notes that obesity among pets and people are on the rise. According to the American Obesity Society, 65 percent of American adults are overweight or obese. The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention states that 44 percent of dogs and 57 percent of cats in the United States are obese. Obesity can cause major health issues in both people and their pets, including osteoarthritis, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and cancer.
To prevent obesity in pets:
- Consult your vet about your pet’s obesity to rule out any medical issues that could be causing weight gain.
- Work with your vet to learn how many calories your pet should be eating daily and stick within those guidelines. Limit the amount of food your pet eats or switch to a lower calorie food with your vet’s counsel.
- Learn how many calories are in treats and avoid excessive caloric intake through treats. For example, if a 50 pound dog needs between 700 – 900 calories a day, some dog bones contain 600 calories—nearly a large dog’s entire daily caloric intake!
- Move more. Take longer walks, play fetch, go on a hike or to the dog park. For cats, encourage play for 10 minutes daily with feather toys, paper bags or laser pointers.
- Move your pet’s food bowl to a location in the home that requires more movement—upstairs, for example.
- Separate animals in multi-pet households for feeding if only one pet needs a weight-reduction diet.
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