"Four out of five vets said they were seeing more overweight and obese animals, according to 143 practices who were contacted in a survey.

Overweight pets risk serious health problems, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) warned.

Podgy pet "fat clinics" have been set up by more than three quarters of vets.

Pet obesity can cause arthritis, high blood pressure, poor liver function and diabetes, amongst other conditions.

A leaflet that warns pet owners of the dangers of letting their animals get overweight has been launched as part of RSPCA Week. " - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4939082.stm

I believe it is more or less accepted that human obesity is related to unsuitable foods and lifestyle. Why do we not draw this obvious conclusion for our pets? The modern obesity 'epidemic' of dogs (and cats) should be no mystery. We feed our animals unsuitable (manufactured and processed) diets and should only expect trouble, in both health and bodyweight. Why do veterinary practices and the RSPCA still promote such feeding practices? Why are such foods not openly condemned? Instead, veterinary practices sell them. The RSPCA has even 'teamed up' with a vet who markets his own foods, under the disguise of 'fresh'. Any financial or business links should be transparent. These foods may be an improvement over the usual manufactured and highly-processed foods but they still cannot be described as 'fresh'.

Pet obesity is on the increase, coincidental with the inexorable march of commercial foods. The disease problems listed by the RSPCA may also be a result of the unhealthy food (rather than actually being caused by the obesity as the RSPCA suggests) but that would be a difficult area of research to be certain. Those who feed a natural fresh diet usually find no problems keeping their dogs slim.

I had a stark illustration of this simple and obvious fact, last month on the Rock of Gibraltar. At the tourist shop, scavenging Barbary Apes (Macaca sylvanus and in fact tail-less macaque monkeys, not apes) were picking up waste food from the unsuitable human food prevalent at such places (sweets, cakes, ice cream etc.). They were obese! No other word sufficed. They were also very bad-tempered.

Their fellows out on the rock proper, fed fresh fruit (in plenty, so quantity did not appear to be the factor), were lissom, hard and fit.

Somehow, the answers to most problems can be found in our everyday lives, if we keep our eyes open and think carefully about what we see.

http://www.alternativevet.org/dog-diseases.htm#obesity

It would appear that the big multi-national commercial pet food manufacturers are now exploring the potentially huge market in ever-more-prosperous India and other 'new' markets. Commercialism knows no bounds.

We are even moving towards 'lifestyle drugs' with pets, with a new anti-obesity drug! Am I the daft one?

(visit: http://www.alternativevet.org)