Situation
Bridget Callahan, veterinary technician and owner of Micha,
13, knows her cat’s poor eating habits started early. “I was
in college when I adopted Micha, so he took a liking to fast
food,” she recalls. By age 3, Micha was heavy and, over time,
the Domestic Shorthair cat’s weight reached 27 pounds.
Working with patients, Callahan had become acutely aware
of the health problems excess weight could promote. “I
didn’t want Micha to develop diabetes, especially if I could
potentially prevent it by helping him lose weight.”
Micha
Casts a
Slimmer
Shadow
Strategy
One of Callahan’s veterinarian colleagues examined Micha
and determined his body condition score (BCS) was 9 out
of 9. She recommended a therapeutic food, but Callahan
wasn’t satisfied with the results. “Micha was always hungry
and his weight loss was minimal,” she says. Recalling that
a former colleague had reported success with Purina
Veterinary Diets® OM Overweight Management® Feline
Formula for her own cat, Callahan asked about a food
change for Micha, which the veterinarian supported.
Results
“When I switched Micha to OM Dry, he would eat a meal and
happily wait until it was time to eat again,” says Callahan.
“He was completely satiated with OM, which has a higher
level of protein than the previous therapeutic food.” Callahan
always used a measuring cup for portion control. “When I
talk with clients about pet weight loss, I recommend feeding
a measured diet and explain how it has made a huge
difference with my cat.” Micha now weighs 12.5 pounds,
with a BCS of 6, and Callahan continues to feed OM.
Veterinarian’s View
Micha
“It is wonderful to see what a happy, healthy, trim cat Micha
has become thanks to the dedication of his owner and Purina
OM,” says Micha’s veterinarian, Sarah Balcom, DVM, MS. “His
story is an inspiration to other cat owners, and proof that they,
too, can help their overweight cats attain healthy weights.”
To learn more about OM and to access educational
materials and support tools for you and your clinic
staff, visit www.purinavets.com/micha (user name:
purinavets; password: nutrition).
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