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Huge proportion of vets run clinics for fat pets[/FONT][FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]
Matt Weaver
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Monday April 24, 2006
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Guardian Unlimited
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Obesity among Britain’s pets has become so acute that three-quarters of vets now run fat clinics to combat the problem, a survey revealed today.[/FONT][FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]
At a time of growing concern about obesity among children, the poll by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals showed that the junk-food-induced crisis had spread to pets and was getting worse.[/FONT]
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Four out of five vets questioned said the number of overweight and obese animals they were seeing was on the increase. Of the 143 veterinary practices surveyed, 76% said they held regular sessions for fat pets.[/FONT]
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The news comes after Britain’s first dedicated weight loss clinic for pets opened at the University of Liverpool small animal hospital earlier this year.[/FONT]
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The RSPCA is urging owners to watch the weight of their pets and to stop feeding them junk food. It cited the case of a dog that had grown to almost double its normal weight after being fed a diet that included breakfast fry-ups.[/FONT]
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RSPCA inspectors reported several cases last year in which animals had suffered from being overweight or obese. Most of the cases involved dogs, but they included a donkey and even a parrot.[/FONT]
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The poll of vets showed that 84% of owners were surprised when told their pets had a weight problem.[/FONT]
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An accompanying survey of 2,300 owners found that almost one-third thought their pets were overweight. More than one-quarter of these said they had done nothing to address the problem.[/FONT]
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An RSPCA checklist for owners says that, as a general rule, if you cannot feel your pet’s ribs it is overweight. It recommends increased exercise for pets and a calorie-controlled diet.[/FONT]
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An RSPCA vet, David Grant, said: “Feeding your pet full English breakfasts, chocolate, chips, burgers and too much pet food may make you feel like a kind and loving owner, but it may [also] give your pet fatty tumours, diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, liver failure, skin problems and, even worse, an early death.”[/FONT]
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He added: “Pet obesity is a serious welfare problem and, as a nation of so-called animal lovers, we have a duty to tackle it now.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006[/FONT]
