When we think of what could be placing our pets at the highest health risk, we might imagine cancer or heart disease as the culprit, but it’s actually many instances of them becoming overweight and obese that’s putting their lives in jeopardy. According to APOP (Association for Preventing Pet Obesity), they estimate that 54% of dogs are either overweight or obese in America.
Feeding them table scraps, too many unhealthy treats and a lack of exercise seem to be the biggest causes for this growing problem. Even if they are eating only kibble and regular processed pet foods, some owners are leaving out an open buffet for them to eat from all day long and this is also contributing to their growing size. While an extra pound or two may not seem that much to us as humans, for animals it can be 10% or more of their entire body weight.