In a surprising new study released by Banfield Hospital, the largest veterinary practice in Portland, Oregon, man’s best friend is following in the footsteps of man, and becoming obese. The weight in dogs has increased by 37 percent since 2007, and an astonishing 90 percent in cats.
To combat this problem, Tufts University has opened one of the first pet obesity clinics in Grafton, Massachusetts where you can haul your canine in for treatment. The clinic will measure your pet’s eating habits and evaluated its muscle condition, nutrition, activity, and health risks.
According to the Los Angeles Times, owners must be very careful of the types of food that they are feeding their pets, often various pet foods range in calories from 200 to over 400 calories per cup, and can add unnecessary pounds. Veternarian Dr. Deborah E. Linder, says calorie reduction is the primary solution to this problem. She also advises owners to impart lessons on their pet.
“Begging isn’t necessarily begging for food. It’s begging for attention, for that interaction — and there are so many ways owners can interact with pets to give them the attention they crave to increase the bond but not increase the calories.”
Much can be said that in a society where Americans are overwhelmingly obese, that our pets are becoming the same. Yikes.
What do you think about obese pets? Would you take your pet to a pet obesity clinic?
I would definitely take my puppies to an obesity clinic if their health was in jeopardy. I recently realized that as I packed on the pounds, so did my fur babies. My older one like to eat everything and my little one has a weird eating pattern. If I put out enough just food, the big one would eat everything and the little one would starve. We have developed a system, but more importantly, I have started taking them on walks. This helps reduce the older one’s weight and increases the little one’s appetite.
@Petite Diva: “I have started taking them on walks” … you should have been doing this from day one, come on!
How did this happen? CORN.
Corn is fattening and cheap (due to subsidies) and is used as the main ingredient in practically every mainstream brand of pet food. Basically like American humans, American pets have a high-carb(sugar) diet.
@Kam: Try Western.
@Kam: far too simplistic. Lack of exercise, overeating, poor control of animals begging, etc.
In a SURPRISING new study?! Come on, it’s not really that surprising … so many treat their pets like humans, not animals. The amount of crap I see pets being fed & lack of exercise by owners at others’ places is ridiculous. We get are increasingly obese, sy it’s pretty logical that our pets will follow that.