Obesity in Pets

Obesity is becoming a major problem among pets. This is mostly caused from pet owners allowing their pets to eat table scraps. Of course, that is not the only cause. Being overweight is bad for dogs and cats because they can get the same kinds of health problems as an overweight person can, such as diabetes, liver problems, and joint pain. The best way to help a pet lose weight is by using a premium weight-control diet and to follow the directions for how much to feed. An owner should also cut down or completely cut out all treats and increase the pet's exercise. A customer should be aware of some so-called diet pet foods that use fiber as a filler. This will cause a large increase in fecal matter, therefore the pet has to go out more, and the poor digestibility of the food may make it impossible for the pet to get all of its nutritional needs met. Premium foods simply lower the amount of calories in the food so an owner can still fill the bowl but not cause excessive stools or loss in nutritional value. Although it is somewhat easy to tell if your pet is overweight or not, it is best to check with your vet to see if your cat or dog needs to be put on a diet.