Touring exhibit urges owners to put pets on diet
March 26th, 2008 Posted in Pet GamesYour dog is so cute when he looks at you with those big eyes, begging for a nibble of cheese. One bite couldn’t hurt.
But 1 ounce of cheese to a dog is the same as if you had scarfed down 1 1/2 hamburgers.
Pet obesity has become widespread, affecting more than 35 percent of domestic dogs and cats, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Overweight pets face many of the same problems as overweight people: diabetes, heart disease, breathing difficulties and arthritis. Extra pounds can shorten a pet’s lifespan.
“Most people have no idea that their dog or cat has a weight problem,” says Heidi Hulon, a Kentucky-based consulting veterinarian for Hill’s pet food. “I think the reason is because they look at the neighborhood dog or cat and it looks the same.”
Hulon visits the Tempe Festival of the Arts this weekend with the Hill’s PetFit Challenge Mobile Tour, sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Association and Hill’s, maker of Science Diet food. People are welcome to bring their pets.
Hulon will demonstrate the hands-on weight test: Can you feel their ribs? Is the dog’s shape an hourglass or an ottoman?
“Five extra pounds on a beagle is like 25 extra pounds on an average woman,” she says. Four extra pounds on a Siamese cat compares with 45 extra pounds on a woman. The exhibit will demonstrate pet exercises and provide information on treats and feeding schedules. All-day feeding is a no-no, even with cats.
The display will also have information on the Hill’s “America’s Fittest Pets” contest, in which the winner will go to New York and appear in a television commercial.
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