FUNCTIONAL HEALTH GUIDE -- HELPING YOUR PET LOSE WEIGHT

Functional Health — Weight Loss & Body Composition

Functional Pet Weight Management 101
A Longevity-Focused Guide for Dogs and Cats
By Dr. Kevin Toman, The Longevity Vet

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Why Weight Is a Functional Health Issue

Weight is not cosmetic.
It is one of the most powerful, proven longevity levers in veterinary medicine.

If there were a single intervention shown to:

extend lifespan
delay disease
reduce pain
improve metabolic health

—independent of genetics—it would not be a supplement or a drug.

It would be maintaining a lean body condition.

This worksheet is a decision-support tool, not a diagnosis.
It is organized around The 3 Core Goals.

The 3 Core Goals

This worksheet is designed to help you:

Clarify what matters most right now
Determine the next best test (if any)
Choose the most appropriate next step

Core Goal 1: Clarify What Matters Most Right Now

Why Weight Is a Late Marker

Visible weight gain is often the last sign of metabolic dysfunction.

Earlier changes commonly include:

insulin resistance
altered energy utilization
chronic inflammation

By the time weight changes are obvious, biological stress has often been present for years.

Early Metabolic Red Flags

Patterns that deserve attention include:

difficulty losing weight despite effort
increased hunger or food-seeking behavior
low or inconsistent energy
abdominal fat gain
abnormal triglycerides or lipid trends

The key question is not:

“Is my pet overweight?”

It is:

“Is my pet’s metabolism functioning efficiently?”

Core Goal 2: Determine the Next Best Test (If Any)

Not every pet struggling with weight requires immediate laboratory testing.

Functional Health helps clarify:

when diet and lifestyle changes are appropriate first
when body composition assessment adds value
when metabolic testing helps explain resistance to weight loss

What to Evaluate First

body condition and muscle mass (not just scale weight)
feeding patterns and calorie sources
carbohydrate load and diet composition
activity type and consistency

Testing is used intentionally, not reflexively.

Core Goal 3: Choose the Most Appropriate Next Step

Weight loss is not about extremes. It is about consistent, sustainable energy balance.

The Non-Negotiable Foundation: Energy Balance

All weight loss follows one rule:

calories in > calories out → weight gain
calories in < calories out → weight loss

Most pets are unintentionally overfed through:

free-choice feeding
treats and table scraps
underestimated portion sizes
calorie-dense foods

Why Moderate Calorie Control Works (The Evidence)

The Purina Life Span Study

The most important longevity study ever performed in dogs was a 14-year, controlled, lifetime feeding study.

Study highlights:

48 Labrador Retrievers, paired as littermates
One dog per pair fed to ideal body condition
~25% fewer calories than full-fed littermates
Feeding began at 8 weeks of age and continued for life

This was not starvation.
It was intentional, moderate calorie control.

Key Findings

Increased lifespan

Lean-fed dogs lived 1.8 years longer
Equivalent to ~15% lifespan extension

Delayed disease onset

Age-related disease occurred ~3 years later
Especially osteoarthritis, pain, and mobility decline

Improved metabolic health

better insulin sensitivity
healthier body composition

These dogs lived longer and better.

Practical Weight-Loss Interventions

First-Line Functional Health Strategies

Dietary composition

reduced calorie density
appropriate protein intake

Meal timing

structured feeding
elimination of free-choice grazing

Movement quality

preserving muscle mass
supporting joint health
improving insulin sensitivity

Reducing Calories Without Increasing Hunger

Water addition

increases food volume
improves satiety
especially valuable for cats on dry food

Fiber & psyllium

slows gastric emptying
reduces hunger behaviors
improves compliance

Advanced Interventions (When Appropriate)

In some pets, diet alone is insufficient.

Advanced options may include:

insulin-sensitizing strategies
prescription longevity or metabolic medications

These tools must be:

carefully supervised
integrated into a broader plan
adjusted over time

They are not shortcuts.

Dogs vs. Cats: Critical Differences

Dogs

highly influenced by owner behavior
respond well to structured feeding
exercise tolerance varies by breed and age

Cats

routine-oriented and metabolically sensitive
must lose weight slowly
at risk for hepatic lipidosis if weight loss is too rapid

Safe feline weight loss is typically 1–2% of body weight per week.

When to Escalate Beyond the Worksheet

A PET LONGEVITY CONSULT is appropriate when:

weight loss stalls despite appropriate effort
labs show metabolic stress
multiple systems are affected (joints, inflammation, cognition)
prescription metabolic or longevity medications are being considered

Expert guidance prevents frustration and trial-and-error.

Text link CTA:
Start a Pet Longevity Consult

The Longevity Takeaway

The Purina Life Span Study proved something extraordinary:

Maintaining a lean body condition is one of the most powerful longevity interventions available for dogs—and likely cats.

Not a supplement.
Not a trend.
Not a drug.

Just intentional, lifelong calorie moderation.

Weight management is not about aesthetics.
It is about:

adding years
reducing pain
delaying disease
preserving joy and mobility

And it is never too late to start.

Your Next Step

If weight or metabolic concerns are present:

review related Functional Health Worksheets (metabolic health, arthritis, senior screening)
focus on sustainable, biology-driven changes
seek expert guidance if progress stalls

There is no single correct solution — only the appropriate next step for your pet today.

About These Worksheets

This worksheet is part of the Functional Health system developed at PetFunctionHealth.com, designed to identify early decline and guide long-term longevity strategy.