There’s a secret life of pets we don’t often talk about. The secret begins with the fact that over half the nation’s dogs and cats are now classified as overweight or obese by their veterinary healthcare provider. Nearly 59% of cats and 54% of dogs equaling an estimated 50.5 million cats and 41.9 million dogs are at risk for weight-related disorders. In addition to confronting pet obesity and its associated maladies and complications, I’ve also been uncovering another secret of pet obesity: Inflammation. In fact, I’d go as far as to say inflammation is the new obesity and is the real secret we need to reveal to both pet parents and the public.   

This is an incredibly important issue because pets with obesity are at increased risk for developing serious weight related disorders such as diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, kidney disease, cancer, and more.  We must do better.

To help you better care for your furry loved one, I’d like to share the top five questions you need to ask your veterinarian to keep your pet healthy. They’re simple, won’t embarrass you, and just may save a life.

According to the latest veterinary surveys, over half our nation’s dogs and cats are overweight. This means almost 90 million pets are at risk for developing crippling arthritis, debilitating diabetes, catastrophic kidney and heart disease, high blood pressure and many forms of cancer. How can you slim down your super-sized pet, keep them fit and reduce their risk of developing many serious diseases? The answer may be easier than you think. Try these seven tips to trim excess pounds from your pet and keep them trim.

Vets concerned about the growing pet obesity epidemic want people to know that a 12 pound Yorkie is the same as an average female weighing 218 pounds and a 14 pound cat is equivalent to a 237 pound man. The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) has created an online pet weight translator and tables of the most common breeds that compare those extra pounds on our pets in terms of love handles we can all relate to.