One Prince George cat named Wanda is on a journey to live a healthier lifestyle and lose a little weight along the way.
Wanda is so large that she can no longer walk easily, or even groom herself, but thanks to the team at Ospika Animal Hospital Wanda has a new outlook on life.
They are helping Wanda shed her extra pounds and have introduced a series of posts on their social media chronicling her weight-loss journey.
The series is called "weight loss with Wanda" and provides updates on her progress every Wednesday, including tips and tricks for pet nutrition and weight loss.
While the six-year-old feline came from a loving home, her previous owners struggled to help her lose weight.
They decided to surrender her to the Prince George Humane Society because they knew they wouldn't be able to give her the special care she would need in order to lose weight and live a long healthy life.
Wanda has actually now been adopted by Ospika Animal Hospital veterinarian Dr. Jennifer McLachlan, who has started Wanda on calorie-control food, a strict feeding schedule and has even built her a walker to help her get around.
It is difficult for her to walk because her wrists have sunk from carrying so much extra weight, so the walker helps increase her mobility.
After only a month in the care of McLachlan and Ospika Animal Hospital, Wanda has lost five per cent of her body weight. She came in weighing 30 lbs and is now down to 28.6 lbs.
The animal hospital’s nutritionist Michelle Moore is also monitoring her strict diet of Royal Canine Calorie Control, which is what she chose to feed Wanda to help maintain her muscle mass while she loses weight (it also helps with her joint health).
Ospika Animal Hospital says even without the extra weight Wanda is still a pretty big cat (her ideal weight is around 15 lbs).
“We know that staying away from treats can be a very challenging part of helping your pet lose weight," says Ospika Animal Hospital in the Dec.12 edition of Wanda Wednesday.
"Our trick for Wanda? Her mom holds a few kibbles back from her measured daily amount. When the kids want to give Wanda a treat, she gets one of her own kibbles, and doesn’t add those extra calories."
To see Wanda’s transformation and her weekly weigh-ins, head on over to the animal hospital's Facebook page.
If you have questions about how to keep your pets on a healthy diet, Moore is more than willing to chat. She can be reached at Ospika Animal Hospital at 250-564-1315.
