While our nation is becoming increasingly aware of the health risk posed by obesity in humans, many owners are only just waking up to the fact that, as with us, pets are what they eat. FemaleFirst caught up with veterinary surgeon Nick Ackworth to lean more about the problem and what pet owners can do to fight the flab.

According to a new survey by a consortium of leading vets and UK pet retailer Pets at Home, most dog owners are in denial about how fat their pets are with nine out of ten owners believing their canine counterparts are the correct weight range for their age and breed despite the fact that research shows over half of the nations dogs to be overweight.

If you feed your cat a handful of crisps on top of their normal diet, it is the equivalent of feeding and entire hamburger to a human a day

This news seems to mirror the growing concern that a large percentage of Britain’s human population is also overweight, Nick Ackworth believes the equation is very simple, he said: “They [both pets and humans] are eating too much for the amount of exercise they’re doing, how you deal with that is very difficult and it comes down to the choice of lifestyle, and once we make time in our very busy lives to do a bit of exercise, it’s important we incorporate our pets into it and do some exercise with them as well.”

The research also shows owners will not face up to the facts even when urged to by an animal health professional. Two in five vets claim to have identified a weight problem as either a primary cause or a significant factor in a pet’s poor health yet, rather than taking responsibility for the issue themselves, pet owners seem to be blaming the problem on the dogs themselves.

One in seven owners said their dog stole food when they were not looking, one in ten said it begged at the table and they ‘couldn’t bear to say no’, while the same proportion accused it of getting fat due to a ‘very sweet tooth’. Only a quarter of survey respondents attributed a lack of enthusiasm to their dog growing old and slowing down which is one of the main reasons our fluffy friends actually get fat. Nick pointed out: “As the animal gets older they can be affected by just the natural slowing down of their metabolism but you also have to be aware of their diet.”

He added: “Giving them a good, well-balanced will provide them with all the calories they need. If you start adding titbits and things on top of that you’re going to get all sorts of problems. For example, if you feed your cat a handful of crisps on top of their normal diet, it is the equivalent of feeding and entire hamburger to a human a day.”

Although many pet owners perceive actions such as lavishing snacks and sugary treats on their beloved dogs as ones of kindness, in truth, they are putting them at risk from a wide range of diseases such as heart disease, arthritis and diabetes.

The good news is that it’s not too late for pet owners to improve their animal’s health, if you want to check with an experienced professional and the best course of action, you could go down to your local veterinary surgery and have a good chat with them whilst getting your pet weighed, some may even offer free nurse clinics to talk about diets and exercise plans or you could visit one of the high street pet stores that offer in-house nutritionists who can offer help and advice tailored to each pet.

Nick Ackworth told us: “We had a King Charles Cavalier, visit the surgery who weighed 17kg [the usual weight is between 8-10kg]Over 6 months we produced an exercise plan and managed his diet and the dog got down to 11kg, losing 6kg and he is now jumping around like a young puppy and certainly not on painkillers anymore. So all in all there is a great incentive to get our pets’ weight down but it does take a little bit of time and you do need the proper support to do it.”

So, next time you reach for the cookie jar and your beloved dog gives you his best puppy dog eyes don’t succumb and give him a good raw, marrow bone instead to keep his teeth free of tartar - that way he gets a tasty treat as well.

FemaleFirst - Ruth Harrison