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Fighting Fido Fat: What to do about a heavy dog

by: Kellene Stockwell

All of us, at one time or another give our dogs and cats treats and other delicious nibbles.

Over time that sign of affection adds up weight wise. In fact, more than half of America’s dogs and cats are overweight or obese according to a new survey from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) and Mars Inc’s Banfield Pet Hospital. That translates to about 93 million pets or about 50 million dogs and 43 million cats.

And just like humans, obesity in animals can lead to health problems like diabetes, kidney disease, joint problems even cancer.

This is the fourth national survey the group has conducted since 2007. And also since then it reports seeing a 30% increase in weight-related issues. “One of the reasons we think the obesity rate for dogs has dramatically increased is due to a better understanding of what an obese dog looks like. Veterinarians also realize how critical it is to tell a pet owner when their dog is in danger due to its weight,” says APOP founder Dr. Ernie Ward.

I grew up in a family that shared food with our pets. So naturally I extended that behavior to my live-in boyfriend’s Siamese cat. I can’t tell you how many times my boyfriend has told me not to give them any human food and yet I still manage to sneak in the occasional secret bite. It’s now to the point where Taka steals In-N-Out fries right from the box!

One obvious way to combat overweight problems is with exercise and knowing what types of food to give to your pet. Of course the best advice would be to talk to your veterinarian to discuss possible weight reduction foods or treats. “The bottom line with our annual surveys is that pets are battling excess weight just as their owners are. Our ultimate goal is to help pet owners better care for both themselves and their pets through better diet, exercise and lifestyle strategies,” says Dr. Ward.

Kellene Stockwell is a web producer at KTVN where she recently won an Emmy for news producing. She also is an advice columnist for Petfolio Magazine and has contributed articles to utahoutside.com, RLife Magazine, Nevada Magazine and the Reno Gazette-Journal. Her degrees are in journalism and theatre.

Be sure to check out our March/April issue of FIDO Friendly magazine, with a feature cover story on tv’s Alison Sweeney and her dog’s battle with weight loss.

QUESTION: What are you doing to prevent obesity in your dog(s)?

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