Take the lead and cut out pet treats for Lent says PDSA

With the start of Lent this week, leading vet charity PDSA is urging pet owners to extend their lifestyle pledges to their pets - and cut out fatty treats. The call comes as the charity’s latest dog obesity figures reveal a staggering 35% of our canine pals to be overweight.

“Many owners get into the habit of feeding scraps and fatty treats to pets,” said Sean Wensley, PDSA Senior Veterinary Surgeon. “We know it’s not good for them and the onset of Lent is an ideal time to make a fresh start. Millions of people try to cut out bad habits at this time of year, so why not do our pets a favour and improve their diet too?”

PDSA vets believe the rise in obesity is primarily due to owners indulging their pets with a more varied selection of fatty, sugary and unhealthy treats and not giving them enough exercise.

A nine month health assessment of nearly 8,000* dogs during 2009 paints a very worrying picture of the health of the UK’s dog population. According to the data over three-and-a-half million UK dogs need to slim down.

Cats are also getting bigger; PDSA has found that the percentage of overweight cats has increased by around five percent over three years, with latest figures suggesting that one in four cats are overweight.

Sean added: “We have seen a steady increase in the number of dogs, cats, rabbits and even small furry pets that are overweight. Thousands of pets across the UK are having their quality of life, and lifespan, cut short as a direct result of obesity.

“As people’s waistlines increase, so too our pets’ vital statistics seem to be mirroring that trend. Ultimately, it is the owners who are in control of their pets’ food in-take and often they inadvertently feed an inappropriate diet and excessive calories.”

But it’s not all bad news for pets. A number of PDSA pet patients have recently undergone weight-loss transformations, overseen by PDSA vets, after their owners enrolled them on its annual pet slimming competition – Pet Fit Club. Pictured is the recent winner of the competition, Amber the cat from Edinburgh, who lost 17% of her bodyweight during the pet slimming challenge.

*data sourced from PDSA health checks on 7,959 dogs in 2009.

16/02/2010