About 40% of Australia's dogs and as many as one-third of cats are estimated
to be overweight. Laverton Veterinary Clinic is one of the clinics, run by a
pet-food manufacturer to target the obesity problem.
Veterinarian Rosemary Cox said obesity causes similar problems in pets as
it does in humans. It places a strain on the heart and joints, which can lead to
crippling arthritis when the dog is older. Ms Cox said there were many myths
about food and healthy weights for dogs and cats that had lead some owners to
become slack with their pet's nutrition.Differences in
"It can be hard defining the difference between plump and
overweight sometimes; different dogs carry weight in a different way, so it can
be hard to work out exactly what is a good weight", Ms Cox said. Labradors and
beagles are notorious for being overweight and stacked on the kilos more easily
than other breeds.
She said that despite their small size and relatively
fast metabolic rates, miniature or toy housedogs also tended to be
over-represented in the obese category because they were often owned by elderly
people and were kept inside without being walked.Related news
stories:Low calorie petfood takes offNew nutrition line meets feline health needsPet food becomes even more tailored
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