Did you know that a pet gaining one pound is the same as us gaining fifteen pounds? Believe it or not, it's true. Obesity is a huge problem in America, and studies show that more and more pets are also becoming overweight. Is it because we show our pets love by giving them food and  treats or that we sneak them table scraps ( I raise my hand!),  or is it due to a lack of exercise? My guess is that it is all of the above. Whatever the reason, the fact remains 44 percent of dogs and 57 percent of cats in the United States are overweight or obese. Just as in humans, overweight pets are predisposed to heart disease, arthritis, diabetes and skin problems.

As a vet, I often hear pet owners say that they think that it's cute for their dog or cat have a little "meat on their bones" and think that by being slim or fit, that their pet looks sickly, or because their pets are a part of the family that they should eat whenever everyone else eats, and my absolute favorite one, "When I found him, he was so skinny that I wanted to make up for all the food he didn't get when he was homeless." While I'm glad that you love your pets like family, let's make sure that we don't love them to death!

So how do you tell if your pet is overweight? Most of the time you can tell by just looking at them. When you pet or rub them, you may feel fat pockets, or you may notice the fat hanging from their belly that swings when they walk or run (in cats especially), or maybe that cute little shirt that you bought last year is fitting tighter or not at all. Dogs and cats should have a 'waist-line' and when we examine them, we should be able to feel (not see) their ribs and see a nice little tuck underneath the abdomen. When you or someone else notices that your pet is packing on the pounds, a weight loss program should be implemented immediately. You can start by following the feeding guidelines,which you can find on the back of most bags of pet food, these give a recommendation as to how much your dog or cat should be eating daily.

Also, you can limit the amount of treats to about one or two per day. If you feel you must give Fluffy or Kitty a treat for good behavior, training, learning a new trick, or whatever you use treats for, you can try giving healthy treats like carrots or celery. If this doesn't work, your vet may prescribe a weight control formula like Hills W/D, R/D  or Royal Canin Calorie Control Diet. These weight control diets also come in a canned form, so you can divide the contents of the can into small pieces, shape them if you like, bake them for a few minutes and give this to them as treats, which will continue them on their weight loss regimen. I often tell clients that if you change your pet's food to a calorie control diet, you should feed them for the target weight, not the weight that your pet is currently. For example, if your dog weighs 60 pounds and your vet tells you that he needs to lose 10 pounds, that you begin feeding your dog the amount that a 58 pound dog should get, then when he gets down to 58 pounds, feed him as a 56 pound dog etc., until he loses the 10 pounds. The reason I recommend a gradual decrease in food is because you don't want to starve them and make it to where they become ravenous (because they are so hungry) and try to steal food from the trash, eat things in the yard or wherever else they can find food.

Another weight loss method that I find works well in dogs, is  the "Green Bean Diet" where  you  slowly introduce fresh, frozen or low salt, canned green beans to  your pet's diet. Initially, you replace 10 percent of the pet's dry kibble with green beans, after two or three days, replace another 10 percent with green beans and do this until half of the kibble is replaced with green beans. This is an inexpensive, all natural and tasty way to help your dog lose weight and increase the fiber which makes them feel full and can be beneficial to the digestive system as well. If you implement a weight loss program and your pet does not seem to be losing weight, I would suggest taking them in to see your veterinarian where they can have an exam and tests run to check for diseases such as Hypothyroidism or Cushing's Disease. Some pets gain weight after they are spayed or neutered and sometimes as they age, due to inactivity, so there may not be a medical cause for them becoming overweight. For indoor cats, a suggestion on how to increase their activity/exercise is to purchase a pen or laser light and shine it on the wall so they can chase it.

Weight loss in pets  requires a life style change and compliance from owners. In general, eat less and exercise more is the best way to get your pet (and yourself) to lose weight. We love our four-legged babies so let's do what we can to keep them fit and trim.  Remember, it's better to prevent than to have to treat!