Is your cat or dog simply a cute chubby, or is their health at risk from being overweight? More and more pets are at an unhealthy weight today, and sometimes, this is because their owners are unsure of whether or not there really is a problem. You could always go to a veterinarian, who can assess whether or not your pet is in fact obese. Or, you could always take advantage of the resources available to you right now to decide for yourself. Then you can use your time at the vet more profitably, asking about how to get your pet to a healthy weight and stay there.

Unfortunately, most pets are overweight nowadays, with an increasing percentage of pets actually being obese, and their owners still cannot see it. Extra pounds can lead to a great number of health risks, which include and are certainly not limited to:

• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Arthritis

Assessing Your Pet's Weight

There are a number of tools and simple methods at your disposal. Online you can discover the body condition score, which shows you pictures of pet body shapes and what each shape's score is, from 1 to 10, for example. Ideally, your pet's shape will match up with a picture toward the middle. In general, cats and dogs should have a tapered shape, that is, be thin where the abs and hip sockets meet. If there is no such slimness, then their shape will be an oval instead of the hourglass it needs to be.

Or, you can stand over them and look down. Can you see your cat or dog's ribs? Then they are underweight. Can you not see their ribs? Then put your hands on their chest. Can you feel their ribs? If not, then your pet is overweight. Simple as that.

Do you need to know how much weight your pet needs to lose? You may want a more in-depth look at your pet's weight then. You can get this from the Healthy Weight Protocol, a procedure that a vet can perform for you. On a dog, a veterinarian will take 4 measurements, and on a cat, 6 measurements. These measurements will then go into a computer, which will calculate your pet's body fat index. With that figure in mind, you can go to a chart, and discover exactly how many pounds away your pet is from a healthy weight. You can also find out how many calories your pet needs on a daily basis.

Starting a Weight Loss Regimen for Your Pet

Just as with humans, weight loss requires a cut in calories and an increase of exercise. As for the diet, you may want to start by feeding your pet 25 percent less food. For a dog's exercise, you can take them out more and more until they can are able to finish two 30-minute walks every day. As for a cat, play with them, buy new toys or entertain them with a laser point chase. Cats will have more energy at sunrise and sunset, so schedule playtime accordingly if possible.

Just be sure that your pet does not lose weight too rapidly, as that is unhealthy too. A cat who drops weight extremely fast could suffer fatty liver syndrome, which could then lead to liver failure. Remember that increased exercise could mean that you can also increase your pet's dietary intake. And as you exercise your pet, perhaps the two of you will arrive at a healthier weight together!

If you want weight-loss advice that is specific to your pet, contact a local veterinarian today! If you are looking for the right vet in your area, you can find the health expert you need on our directory.