Pet owners are being encouraged to help their dog or cat towards better health as an overweight animal is more likely to meet an early grave.
Two thirds of vets responding to a survey by pet food manufacturer Hill's Pet Nutrition claimed that pet obesity is the single biggest health issue facing animals in Europe, with 96 per cent citing early death as the most serious consequence.
The survey also found that obesity tends to run in households, with 78 per cent of respondents having noticed that obese pets are likely to have overweight owners.
This can pose problems when it comes to giving advice, as 80 per cent of vets admitted that they found it hard alerting owners to their pet's weight issues in case they caused offence.
Nick Blayney, president of the British Veterinary Association, said that weight loss programmes were likely to fail unless owners knew what weight their pet should be.
He also suggested that owners themselves could gain from keeping an eye on their pet's weight, revealing: "Data from the People and Pets Exercising Together study confirms that if an owner and pet go on a diet and exercise programme together they both benefit."
Pet owners are being encouraged to help their dog or cat towards better health as an overweight animal is more likely to meet an early grave.
