MADISON, Wis. - Feb. 5, 2016 - PRLog -- The 7th annual “Pets Reducing for Rescues” Ideal weight contest will have 6 divisions: “Biggest 4-Pawed Loser” Dogs, “Biggest 4-Pawed Loser” Cats, “Iron Dogs”, “Iron Cats”, and “Cat Pride” & “Dog Pack” Challenges.
The initial contest weigh-in will occur on Saturday, March 5th, 2016 from 12:30 to 2 PM during our Pet Wellness Fair. The contest has a 7-year history and has donated more than $5,000 to local rescues since its first contest held in 2010.
All contestants will choose their favorite local pet rescue organization and West Towne Veterinary Center (WTVC) will donate $5 for each pound lost for dogs and $20 per pound for cats during the FREE 8-week contest. Friends, coworkers and family members are encouraged to match pledges. Contestants are encouraged to find other contestants to form teams for the “Dog Pack Challenge” or the “Cat Pride Challenge” to increase funds for rescues and increase the fun!
WTVC staff will perform free ideal weight assessments for every pet that attends, veterinarians will be available to answer questions related to pet wellness and ideal weight, and vendors will provide product information, free samples, and coupons. From 1:30 to 2:00 PM, Dr. Ken Lambrecht will present an informative seminar on “Why ideal weight pets feel better and live longer."
The preventive pet health fair and contest are FREE and open to the public. NOTE: Pets participating in the Biggest Loser categories that are not clients of WTVC must have a signed waiver from their veterinarian to participate.
MEDICAL BACKGROUND & PET WELLNESS FAIR DETAILS
Up to 59% of all pets are now overweight, according to the AAHA 2014 Weight Management Guidelines. Ideal weight dogs live an average of 15% longer. (Gail, Kealy et al. 2002)
The AAHA 2014 Weight Management Guidelines were published in January 2014, and the World Small Animal Asssociation (WSAVA) shared theirs shortly after. These, as well as the AAHA Canine & Feline Life Stage Guidelines published respectively in 2012 and 2010, are now the backbone of preventive care for dogs and cats. The newly reorganized Pet Nutrition Alliance (www.petnutritionalliance.org) has great tools and resources to help as well, including an evidence-based calorie calculator.
“Pet obesity is perhaps the single most important preventable wellness parameter in pets, second perhaps only to pet dental problems,” says Ken Lambrecht, DVM, Medical Director of West Towne Veterinary Center.
“Although challenging because of the huge emotional nature of feeding our beloved pets, we now have evidence-based guidelines to help us reach and maintain ideal weight in pets safely and effectively. Our annual contest to benefit rescues is our way to share with the community the year-round strategies, tools and dialogues that we use to achieve ideal weight in pets."
The fair will have details on overall pet preventive care, how to read pet food and supplement labels, how to determine ideal weight, calculate calories and determine adequate protein level for safe, effective weight loss in pets.
CONTEST DETAILS
Free contest sign-up and initial weigh-ins will begin during the Pet Wellness Fair on Saturday, March 5th from 12:30-2 PM.
If contestants cannot make it to the fair, they can still weigh-in at West Towne Veterinary Center until Saturday, March 12th at 12pm when enrollment for the contest will officially close. (Earliest entrants will have an advantage so weigh-in at wellness fair is encouraged.)
The contest will run for 8 weeks, with a midpoint weigh-in on Wednesday, March 30th from 5:30-6:30 PM (those who cannot attend can get midpoint weigh-ins between March 28th and April 2nd). The Grand Finale and final contest weigh-in will take place on Saturday, April 30th from 12:30-1:30 PM. Door prizes and over $2000 in contest prizes will be given at the midpoint & the Grand Finale.
NEW THIS YEAR FOR CATS: We now have a complete Bug's "cat gym," complete with treadmill, climbing towers, and even an exercise wheel for cats. We are featuring two exciting new technologies as well. Tailio http://tailio.com is a device that turns a litter box into a smart health monitor for cats by connecting with a free smartphone app. Tailio measures cat’s weight, waste in the litter box and works with multiple cats and litter boxes providing weight trends and early detection of discomfort or disease. We are advising the use of the Surefeed TM Microchip Pet feeder www.sureflap.com/westtownevet in certain situations to help ration cats and allow multiple cat households to offer select foods to each cat.
Our “Cats Night Out” weigh-in event Wednesday, March 2nd from 5:30 to 7 PM will discuss weight management concepts unique to cats, serve as the first weigh-in, and discuss the use of these weight management related technologies to help cats achieve ideal weight.
NEW FOR DOGS: For the second year, Heyrex www.heyrex.com, a veterinary specific wearable biosensor for use in dogs & cats, will be avaialble to help monitor, document and improve weight loss success. We will have 15 devices for contestants to rent at a special contest rate of $50 for the 8-week contest. The data from those pets will be used in a case study to help determine its effectiveness on motivation and the rate of weight loss.
SPONSORS: We wish to thank & acknowledge our generous sponsors who help make this contest possible. Thanks to Purina, Hills, Sureflap, Torus, Tailio and HeyRex for donating products for prizes and use to help pets achieve ideal weight.
More information is at www.westtownevet.com.
CONTEST STATISTICS
In the last contest held in 2015, there were 71 final contestants (36 dogs & 35 cats) and the Dane County Friends of Ferals and Dane County Humane Society together received over $1500. Over $1500 in pet food prizes were awarded. This year we will have over $2000 in prizes and will award at least $2000 to local rescues.
Dr. Lambrecht has 35 years of experience as a preventive care veterinarian and is the medical director and founding owner of West Towne Veterinary Center. He is a board member of the Pet Nutrition Alliance (PNA), whose mission is to educate veterinary teams, and is current chairman of the PNA Educational Tools Committee. He was one of the authors of the 2012 AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines. He presented "Effective Tools, Dialogues and Strategies for a Successful Weight Management Program” at the annual Purina Companion Animal Nutritional Summit in Barcelona, Spain in March of 2015.
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West Towne Veterinary Center is an American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) Gold Certified Cat Friendly Practice and also an American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) accredited veterinary practice. We are a veterinary supervised grooming facility, weight management and veterinary rehabilitation center. We practice integrative and comprehensive dentistry, nutrition, and preventive wellness care. www.westtownevet.com
Media Contact
Ken Lambrecht Medical Director
6088283737
***@westtownevet.com
Photos: (Click photo to enlarge)
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