OBESITY IN DOGS AND CATS

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I thought this was very enlightening. The Association for Pet Obesity  And Prevention states that over half of the U.S' dogs and cats are obese! People don't pay attention to how much they feed their pets.  Here is the link:

http://www.petobesityprevention.com/how-fat-is-that-doggie-in-your-...

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I use a measuring cup also. I used to be one of those who scooped whatever into the bowl, but when I realized that our oldest dog was getting porky, I stopped and began measuring. We are very careful about how much we feed the dogs and what they weigh. I don't give lots of treats so I don't pay attention to their caloric value.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

I agree that overweight dogs just LOOK uncomfortable. As do overweight people for that matter, but like was said, people have choices. Most children and certainly dogs don't have much choice in the quality and quantity of foods provided and given the chance to eat anything and everything, some if not most, will.
I have always felt that parents of obese children should be fined for neglect, as they are neglecting their childs' health, short and long term. But in many families, food does = love. So it is a hard cycle to stop. And ofcourse there is the genetics-factor,so I'm not saying all parents of obese children are negligent. Yes, in most cases, it appears, those same families do seem to have larger dogs. But I guess we can be thankful that these dogs (and children) are at least being well fed and loved.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I really think that a lot of the obesity in both pets and children stems from ignorance. The food = love is part of that. I also think people are still proud of overly chubby babies as proof of health - a left over from the old old days. I think gentle education is the long term answer.