According to the RSPCA, between 22-45% of all dogs are overweight or obese, with the similar figures for cats. Just like us, if your pet eats food that has more calories than they use up, the excess gets stored as fat. Obesity can cause serious health and welfare problems and can drastically reduce both the quality and length of an animal’ s life. A few example of medical conditions associated with obesity are: Diabetes, heart disease, cancers, high blood pressure and orthopeadic diseases. Research has also shown that it’s likely that being obese may affect an animal’s ability to carry out a range of natural behaviours  – for example, a dog that’s a healthy weight would naturally choose to exercise, however an obese dog may not be able to this without respiratory discomfort.

There are some criteria that can make an animal more predisposed to obesity, such as age and breed but the RSPCA have listed a few easy checks that can be carried out regularly to prevent your pet from becoming obese:

-          You should be able to see and feel the outline of your pet’s ribs without a covering of excess fat.

-          When viewed from above, you should be able to clearly see your pet’s waist

-          Your pet’s belly should be tucked in when viewed from the side

Your vet will be able to give you advice on diet and exercise plans to help your pet lose or maintain a healthy weight and many practices hold weight management clinics to offer obesity advice.

There are also lots of excellent food products on the market that can help control weight in animals and ranges that target particular conditions, from skin disorders to diabetes, heart problems to dental health, (always best to consult the vet!)