Saturday, December 18, 2010

Obesity epidemic hits pets

Take one look at many pets these days and you'd almost think we were raising them for food.

Why else would we be fattening them up?

But the truth is, humans aren't the only ones facing an obesity crisis--pet cats and dogs are getting so big that the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention says up to 90 million of them are now overweight or obese.

That's almost one overweight pet for each overweight adult person!

And while the risks that come along with obesity are plenty bad for you, they're "ruff" on your pet, too: Fat cats and corpulent canines face arthritis, heart disease, organ problems and even diabetes.

Yes, your pet can become diabetic.

Add it all up and you won't just risk the pain of losing a beloved pet too soon, but super-sized veterinarian bills: The Association estimates that pet owners now pay hundreds of millions of dollars a year in obesity-related expenses.

All for a condition that could have been avoided by simply watching your companion's dinner bowl.

You can tell if your pet is getting a little too big by gently rubbing the animal along the ribs. If you can easily feel the ribcage, congratulations: Your pet probably isn't too porky.

But if there's a layer of pudge there, it may be time to make some changes.

And the good news is, it's pretty easy.

Pets get fat for the same reasons we do: too much food, too many snacks and not enough movement--and all three are within your control.

First, start off by taking measure of your pet's daily food needs--and making sure you don't overfill the bowl each day. Forget the instructions on the can or bag… they can be worse than worthless.

Ask your vet instead.

Then, limit the snacks--no matter how big those puppy-dog eyes get.

On a mission for your health,
Ed Martin
Editor, House Calls

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