Here are 10 nutritional tips for overweight pets from The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Tip #7:

“Correct Diet: Overweight animals consume more calories than they require. Work with your veterinarian to determine your pet’s caloric requirements, select a suitable food and calculate how much to feed. The diet should contain a normal level of a moderately fermentable fiber and the type of fat that prevents the skin and coat from deteriorating during weight loss. Diets that dilute calories with high fiber lead to increased stool volumes, frequent urges to defecate and variable decreases in nutrient digestibility.”

This is one of hundreds of articles I’ve read recently about the importance of a healthy diet for pets. It’s scary how many pets are overweight without their owners even realizing it, and just goes to show you how important natural pet food can be for your pet.

Here’s a startling excerpt from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine website:

“The obesity epidemic in humans can probably be linked to our affinity for fast food and lack of exercise, which may stem from stress. That’s not news to most of us. But it is hard to justify reports from veterinarians in a Pfizer animal health study that found 47 percent or over 61 million of the approximately 130 million pets in this country are overweight or obese. “