In today's world being overweight or even obese is commonplace not only in humans but in their pets as well.

A report from the National Academy of Science shows that one in four pets is overweight or obese. Obesity in pets causes the same health risks as humans: diabetes, heart disease, joint and mobility problems, breathing difficulties, clogged arteries, and cancer. Overfeeding, whether from scraps or just too much food and not enough exercise, is dangerous to your pet. Let's face it our pets are obese because we feed them too much. It is not necessary for pets to eat everyday. With adequate water and food a healthy pet can go a couple of days without eating.

We should not entice our pets to eat they should eat only when they want. This is nature's way of insuring a healthy weight.

Cat obesity is much more complicated than that of a dog. Cats who lose weight in a short amount of time are predisposed to Cirrhosis of the Liver (Fatty Liver Disease) .Therefore a veterinarian should supervise a cat's weight loss program.

All overweight pets should have a physical prior to dieting and their thyroid should be checked for deficiences.

One plan to tackle your dog's obesity is decreasing your dog's total food intake (this includes snacks and treats, table scraps, and their regular dog food) by one-third and increasing your dog's exercise by one-third. Exercise can include play, daily walks, and swimming anything that requires your dog to move. If your walks are fifteen minutes then increase them to twenty. Continue this routine for two weeks and weigh your dog. If weight loss (even slight) has occurred then continue doing what you're doing. If weight loss has not occurred then again decrease food intake by one-third and increase exercise by one-third, weigh again in two weeks and repeat instructions above.

If your dog continues not to progress then write down EVERYTHING you are feeding the dog and log his/her exercise. Evaluate the results and if you feel you have truly decreased his/her intake and increased their exercise and had no results contact your veterinarian. Take your notes with you so the vet can see what you have done.

Getting your pet to a safe weight increases their longevity, decreases illnesses, and increases theirs and your quality of life.

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