Beagle Weight Loss Surgery What You Need to Know

Weight loss

Weight-loss surgery: Is it an option for you?

Learn about the criteria you must meet to have weight-loss surgery.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Weight-loss surgery changes the shape and function of your digestive system. This surgery may help you lose weight and manage medical conditions related to obesity. These conditions include diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, and risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

Weight-loss surgery is also known as bariatric surgery. There are various surgical procedures, but all of them help you lose weight by limiting how much food you can eat. Some procedures also limit the amount of nutrients you can absorb.

In the U.S., the most common weight-loss surgery is sleeve gastrectomy. In this procedure, the surgeon removes a large portion of the stomach to create a tubelike sleeve.

Weight-loss surgery is only one part of an overall treatment plan. Your treatment will also include nutrition guidelines, exercise and mental health care. You'll need to be willing and able to follow this long-term plan to achieve your weight-loss goals.

If you're considering weight-loss surgery, you'll meet with a number of specialists to help you decide if weight-loss surgery is an option for you.

Medical guidelines

The general medical guidelines for weight-loss surgery are based on body mass index (BMI). BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. Weight-loss surgery might be an option for an adult with a BMI of 40 or higher.

The surgery may also be an option for an adult who meets these three conditions:

• BMI of 35 or higher
• At least one obesity-related medical condition
• At least six months of supervised weight-loss attempts

In some cases, weight-loss surgery may be an option for adolescents. The guidelines include:

• BMI of 40 or higher and any obesity-related medical condition
• BMI of 35 or higher and a severe obesity-related medical condition

Instead of using these BMI numbers as a guideline for surgery, a surgeon may use growth charts for adolescents. These charts show the standard BMI range for each age. The surgeon may recommend the procedure based on how much the adolescent's BMI is above the standard BMI range.

Depending on the type or severity of an obesity-related illness, some adults or adolescents with lower BMIs may be able to undergo weight-loss surgery.

How to know if you're ready for surgery

If you're considering weight-loss surgery, you'll meet with a health care team that may include the following:

• Primary care doctor
• Surgeon
• Anesthesiologist
• Dietitian
• Nurse specializing in weight management
• Psychologist or psychiatrist
• Other specialists depending on your medical conditions

Members of your team will explain what to expect before and after the procedure. They will evaluate whether you're ready for surgery and help you decide if it's an option for you. They may identify concerns to address medical, behavioral or psychological before you're ready for surgery.

Medical concerns

You'll have a medical exam to diagnose any unknown obesity-related conditions. Your doctor also will test for problems that could make surgery more complicated. You may undergo tests for:

• Sleep apnea
• Cardiovascular disease
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease

You'll likely not be able to have surgery if you have these conditions:

• Blood-clotting disorders
• Severe heart disease that prohibits the safe use of anesthesia
• Other conditions that increase the risk of using anesthesia

Behaviors and mental health

Weight loss after surgery depends on your ability to change behaviors in eating and exercise. Also, being in good mental health is important for the demands of following your treatment plan. Your team's goals are to identify psychological or behavioral risk factors, address any problems, and decide whether you're ready for surgery.

Your health care team will talk with you about the following:

• Motivation. Are you motivated to embrace lifestyle changes, set goals and educate yourself about healthy nutrition? Your team will track your ability to follow recommended changes to your diet and exercise routine.
• Weight-loss history. What dieting and exercise plans have you used in the past to lose weight? Did you lose weight or regain weight? Patterns in weight loss and weight gain can help your team understand challenges for you and recommend strategies for post-surgical plans.
• Eating behaviors. Irregular eating behaviors or eating disorders may contribute to obesity. These include binge eating, nighttime eating and unplanned grazing between meals. Some eating disorders are associated with other mood disorders and other mental health conditions.
• Mood disorders. Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or other mood disorders are associated with obesity, and these conditions may make it difficult to manage your weight. Also, people with untreated mood disorders often find it difficult to stick with new diet and exercise habits after surgery.
• Alcohol and drug use. Problems with alcohol or drug use, as well as smoking, are associated with poor weight loss and continued substance use problems after surgery. Untreated or unmanaged problems likely prohibit the option of weight-loss surgery.
• Suicide risk. There is an increased risk of suicide among people who have undergone weight-loss surgery. The risk is higher among people with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, substance use disorder, schizophrenia or other disorders.

Pre-surgery expectations

If your team members recommend bariatric surgery, they will work with you to develop a treatment plan. This may include:

• Nutrition guidelines. The dietitian will help you with nutrition guidelines, vitamin supplements and menu planning. The guidelines include changes before and after surgery.
• Exercise plan. A nurse, occupational therapist or other specialist will help you learn appropriate exercises, develop an exercise plan and set goals.
• Weight loss. You may be encouraged or required to lose some weight through diet and exercise before you can have surgery.
• Psychotherapy. You may be required to begin talk therapy, drug treatment or other mental health therapy to treat an eating disorder, depression or other mental health condition. Your therapy may include developing new coping skills or addressing your concerns about body image or self-esteem.
• Smoking. If you smoke, you'll be asked to quit smoking or participate in a program to help you quit.
• Other treatments. You'll be expected to follow treatments for other medical conditions.

These requirements are intended to help you achieve the best possible weight-loss outcomes after surgery. Also, your ability to follow through on these plans will show your team how motivated you are to follow guidelines after surgery. Weight-loss surgery can be delayed or canceled if your health care team determines that:

• You're not psychologically or medically ready for surgery
• You haven't made appropriate changes in your eating or exercise habits
• You gained weight during the evaluation process

Paying for surgery

Your insurance company may cover the costs of weight-loss surgery. Your team will need to show that the procedure is medically necessary. Also, you may need to provide documented evidence that you weren't able to lose enough weight with a supervised program of diet and exercise. Medicare and some Medicaid programs may cover the costs.

It's important to research your insurance coverage and your expected out-of-pocket costs. Your hospital may have services to help you explore options for financing your surgery.

Is bariatric surgery right for you?

A team of doctors, nurses and other specialists will help you determine whether this is an appropriate option for you.

The process the team uses to determine if you're ready for weight-loss surgery is also there to help you make an informed decision. You will need to consider the benefits and risks, follow through with pre-surgery and post-surgery plans, and make a lifelong commitment to a new nutrition and exercise program.

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Oct. 13, 2022Show references

1. Feldman M, et al., eds. Surgical and endoscopic treatment of obesity. In: Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Management. 11th ed. Elsevier; 2021. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Oct. 20, 2020.
2. Lim RB. Bariatric operations for management of obesity: Indications and preoperative preparation. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Oct. 20, 2020.
3. Inge TH. Surgical management of severe obesity in adolescents. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Nov. 4, 2020.
4. Potential candidates for bariatric surgery. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/bariatric-surgery/potential-candidates. Accessed Nov. 5, 2020.
5. Cheroutre C, et al. Contributing of cognitive-behavioral therapy in the context of bariatric surgery: A review of the literature. Obesity Surgery. 2020; doi:10.1007/s11695-020-04627-9.
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8. Telem D. Outcomes of bariatric surgery. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Oct. 20, 2020.
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See more In-depth

7 Ways to Help your Beagle Lose Weight

My neighbors beagle, Cookie has gained a lot of unhealthy weight lately. So we decided to take this challenge of transforming Cookie by helping her to lose excess weight.

After doing a lot of research and talking with my vet, I found seven effective ways to help a beagle lose weight.

These ways worked amazingly for Cookie, and they will help any beagle to lose unhealthy weight. But just to be safe, consult your veterinarian before implementing them.

1. Start Measuring Calories

Start measuring your beagles calory intake and cut it down. If you are feeding your pooch according to the feeding guide mentioned on the dog food package, then stop. These guides are made for active dogs with an average healthy weight.

By feeding your overweight beagle according to these guides, you are feeding him 20% to 30% more than he needs.

Ask your vet to calculate the necessary amount of calories that your beagle needs every day and start feeding accordingly.

You can use this formula to get a general idea of many calories your inactive dog requires. But make sure to check it with the vet first.

First, divide the weight of your beagle by 2.2, then multiply it with 30, and then add 70 to it.

[(Weight of your Beagle / 2.2) x 30] + 70

Most dog food packages have calories per bowl or calories per 100 grams. Start measuring the calories and feed your beagle accordingly.

2. Use vegetables as treats

Manufactured treats are not the best option for an overweight beagle. Try replacing these treats with vegetables that your pooch loves. Some popular and healthy vegetables that many dogs enjoy are baby carrots, apples, bananas, green beans, and celery.

Try different types of vegetables until you find a few that work best on your canine. Here is a list of 32 vegetables safe to feed your beagle.

Make sure not to feed to much vegetables that contain natural sugar like bananas and apples.

But if your beagle is like my niece who hates veggies, then here are two low-calorie and healthy treats:

3. Daily Exercise

While cutting down calories will stop your beagle from gaining weight, exercising will help burn calories and lose weight.

Beagles are a breed of hunting dogs. They are suppose to run, chase, and be active. If you fail to provide enough exercise for your beagle, they start gaining weight and become lethargic.

To help your beagle lose weight without causing any health risk, take things slow but steady. Start with taking your pooch out for a walk just around the block. And gradually increase the distance.

Make a schedule and be consistent with it. Do not miss even a single day.

Here are 12 fun ways to exercise your beagle.

4. Feed many small meals

Once you know how much you are supposed to feed your beagle in a day, divide the ratio into 3 to 6 small portions and feed them throughout the day. According to Dr. Carol Osborn, it requires energy to digest the food that burns calories. Feeding small meals many times a day will burn more calories.

She says that feeding a small portion of meals every 4 to 6 hours makes your dog feel full throughout the day and reduces appetite spikes.

5. Cut down Carbs

Most beagles do not need a diet that is high in carbohydrates, and still, most dog foods have high carbs. Dog food for losing weight should be low in carbs and high in proteins.

6. High protein Diet

Many manufactured dog foods contain fillers, by-products, grain, and unhealthy preservatives. They are high in fats and carbohydrates and have low protein.

Switching to high-quality, grain-free dog foods with fresh meat as their primary ingredients can help your beagle achieve goals of being healthy.

I recommend these three high-protein dog foods for losing weight:

Make sure to consult your veterinarian before switching food.

You can even start feeding your beagle home-cooked food. Its the best way to ensure that your pooch gets all the essential nutrients. Ask your veterinarian or a pet nutritionist to create a home-cooked died for your beagle.

7. Play with them

Beagles love to interact with their human buddies. One way to make them happy and burn some calories is to play some games with them.

You dont need to go out; you can play some indoor games like hide and seek and fetch.

Bonus: Teach and revise tricks

Teach them some tricks and commands; this will be fun for you as well as your pooch. And the best part about it is that it will be a mini exercise for them.

Teaching new tricks also provides mental stimulation, which makes them feel good and excited.

Fix a time and add this to your schedule to teach and revise trick to your beagle. Just make sure you dont over-treat them.

Did you know obisity can decrease the lifespan of beagles.

Conclusion

DO NOT set an unrealistic goal of making your dog fit in just a month, its not safe for them. Ideally, losing 1 to 2 pounds a month is safe and less stressful.

Keep this weight-loss thing as much fun as possible for your beagle. And dont be too strict with everything. Its more about being consistent.

The above ways have worked for us as well as many other dogs. But to be safe, please ask your veterinarian before doing any lifestyle changes in your beagles routine.