It’s hard not to give your pet a treat when they look at you with those eyes, but it may be more loving to refuse.
That’s because the prevalence of overweight pets seems to be growing in urban areas.
Dr. Jordan Woodsworth with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine says the treats may seem small, but the calories can add up quickly.
As an example, a piece of cheese may seem harmless, but for a mid-size dog, it’s about the same as a human eating 2 hamburgers.
Just as it causes issues for overweight people, there are health issues for pets as well, from increased arthritis to bladder diseases, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and skin issues.
Plus, an overweigh pet means cutting their lifespan by 1 or 2 years.
Woodsworth suggests checking with your vet on the type of food and how much to serve, because they are all different.
Some have more protein while others may have more carbs or fat.
She adds that although exercise is good, it’s only about 20 per cent of the equation when it comes to a healthy weight for your pet.
The rest is determined by calorie intake.