Sad but America's pets are fat!

You do see a lot of pets that tend to waddle around instead of walking with the ease that they should. Our neighbours have an overweight dog, and it has affected its breathing. He gets outside but just lays in the grass when the neighbour works in their garden, so that isn't any exercise. I keep telling them that they should get a Frisbee to throw for him, he'll get a work out then.

They could also give more natural food with less calories, like inexpensive fish.

This is the major downside to having a cat that remains in the house most of the time. Cats should be out prowling for a good portion of the day, which is exercise that they really need.

Our lab is a smallish medium and when she weighted 62 pounds the vet said it was the perfect weight for her...but then she got ''older' and even though she gets a lot of exercise in the pool all summer she was putting on weight. Now we've cut out all human food (no more human snacks!) and she is back down to about that weight again. Labs have a tendency to gain quickly. Our first lab was up around 92 and we put her on a diet and got her down to 70 and it made a huge difference for her.

Try ignoring our Sonny James feline when he wants chow. Just try it. Our pups are muscled but not fat. They also burn off calories running our little acreage.

That's one fat cat. I know I need to exercise my dog more, but I have a hard time getting out walking as I am so overweight myself. And now with the leg just healing from being broken, I have a harder time walking.

The government surely worries about the overweight owners, rather than the pets that are overweight. It is sad that animals and humans are so lacking in exercise.

when younger my cats got to go out and come back at will via their cat flap so they ran round the park chasing birds and mice and kept in shape - now at 18 the surviving older cat tends to stay in more and she has put more weight on

THey should also consider more organic brands of food. I know that they can be pricey but they are generally healthier for the animal. Play time with pets really takes no time at all, and can even be a relaxing thing for the owner. It's sad that the pets get obese. We (as a nation) are obese enough. Sadly there too.

Ya it's alarming, when I used to have a cat, I just kept him outside most of the time. So he gets plenty exercise.

is that yer cat?? the critters 'round here don't suffer from excess weight. jest aint good fer 'em, jest's it aint fer humans. from what i've seen (with friends/'r family) is not the food given per se, but the treats they lavishly hand out...'long with a lack'f exercise. heck, if'n the human's too lazy there's lazer lights fer cheap 'n ya aint ne'er gotta leave yer comfy chair whilst yer feline/'r canine friend chases it.

that cat sure looks like he could use a diet and a work out, sounds like the owners need to be more aware, I must admit, I have not looked at the calorie value of our dogs food...

I have been surprised in the past when I have seen a dog that looked like an old dog only to find out that it was only a few years old. The reason that it looked like an old dog was because it was carrying far too much weight. The strain of the excess weight made the dog look and act like a much older dog.

Ooops time for people to get those cats exercising

I hope you won't mind me to say that I think it is not only pets are overweight in USA, but also Americans. Perhaps Americans have more nutrition food and especially they depend on the cars so much. Therefore they don't walk as much as we do.

that is so right. I got in that awful habit of feeding coco to much and we have had problem getting her to lose weight. they just pull your heart strings when they beg. I try but I think lots of times her eating is to replace things she misses like having more people in the house. she gets bored just like us

If I wasn't here to keep any eye out, my parents dogs would be like. We come back after being at my sisters for Christmas vacation and my precious little fur brother is looking like a basketball. Dad and his bacon treats Lucky I got him back in shape. Vet says no more of those treats because they'll cause him to have stones again.

Even the poor animals are out of shape here in the USA. How sad is that.

@celticeagle , I am guilty of this too, if my dog begs for a treat I just tend to give her the treat, but I agree I should rather throw a tennis ball around and have her chase that before giving treats, though with the extreme heat here now, we have to keep her cool and calm, but once winter starts I will aim to get her more fit.

My cat can be outside as much as he likes; he has a little door and we live in the country. But he still lays in his bed most of the day!