A long time ago we would hardly take our dogs out for walks and we fed them everything we ate without thinking twice and we thought if the dog was fat it was “cute.”

Veterinarians claim that about half the animals they see are overweight or obese and only a few pet owners accept that their dogs need to get thinner.

Nationwide, the largest provider of health insurance, claims that obesity among cats and dogs has risen for 8 years in a row. Being overweight is unhealthy for pets as well as humans which can lead to kidney disease, a shorter life and illnesses like heart disease, arthritis, bladder and urinary tract disease, liver disease, diabetes, spinal disease and high blood pressure.

To prevent your pet from these illnesses you should do the following:
1. Provide regular physical activities
2. Measure food carefully
3. Don’t feed from the table

Implementing some lifestyle changes for your pet now can spare them from a lot of health difficulties later on in their lives. If you’re looking for more guidance on steps you can take to help your pet avoid kidney disease, diabetes and other similar complications, be sure to check out some of our earlier articles.