The vet charity for pets in need, PDSA, says the pet obesity crisis needs ‘urgent attention’ as vet teams estimate around half of UK pets are overweight – equating to around 5 million dogs and 4.7 million cats.
It comes as the charity, alongside its partner Royal Canin, visits Crufts in a bid to tackle the growing pet obesity crisis head on through its ‘Big Weigh In’ campaign.
PDSA, in partnership with Royal Canin, is inviting pet owners to book free weight checks at participating vet practices nationwide throughout February and March. There are more than 500 vet practices signed up and pet owners can find their local participating practice and book their free appointment here: pdsa.org.uk/WeighUp
“We’re all guilty of over-indulging at times, but worryingly, 36% of dog owners admit to regularly giving their pet leftovers*,” explains PDSA Vet Nurse Nina Downing.
“And while a tasty treat now and then, when considered amidst the rest of their food intake, won’t harm your pet, regularly overfeeding them could lead to serious health problems.
“Since our PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report launched over a decade ago, overweight and obese pets have always been an issue but almost half of veterinary professionals (49%) say they’ve seen an increase in pet obesity in the last two years. And a quarter say obesity is one of the top five welfare issues in dogs.
“But with more and more people owning a pet these days, especially dogs, we’re now at a point where it needs urgent attention before it gets even worse.”