Never too late to start healthy dog food diet, says PDSA

The PDSA has underlined how canines must be fed a healthy dog food diet.

It is never too late to cut out fatty treats and give canines a nutritious dog food diet.

This is the view of the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), which has published its annual animal obesity statistics for the UK.

More than one in five British-based pooches are now overweight, a figure which the charity predicts could rise to at least 50 per cent within three years.

Hounds in the Midlands, the south-west and Scotland were found to be the most likely to be piling on the pounds.

Reviewing the figures, senior veterinary surgeon Sean Wensley warned that fat dogs are at risk of arthritis, heart disease and diabetes.

High calorie treats, such as cheese, chips, curry and cake should be avoided, he suggested.

"Pet owners are showing love for their pet through food, but ultimately they are killing with kindness it's fair to say," he remarked.

Regular exercise is also very important when trying to keep a pooch healthy, Mr Wensley said.

Posted by Gemma Gamble

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Wednesday, 28 Jul 2010, 11:43am

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