In doing my research I came across an interesting web site all about pet obesity. It's the brain child of a Vet from North Carolina named Ernie Ward.
The web site is called The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, and while that sounds like the kind of name a Vet would dream up, the site is full of useful information.
There are the usual statistics on the scary level of obesity in dogs and cats and the related health concerns. According to Dr Ward, over half of US dogs and cats, almost 89 million critters in all, are overweight and 26 million of these are obese. Yep, just like us humans, excess weight in dogs and cats is the number one preventable health problem we have.
Dr Ward has a particular issue with pet treats. He contends that pet treats are a prime cause of obesity. While I understand his concern, I'm not so sure treats are as big a problem as he states. I'm more in the camp that the good intentioned treat dispensers are more at fault than the treats. It's kind of like blaming cars for drunk driving, in my mind.
Vet Exposes Sugary Secret of Pet Treats
His particular issue is with the sugar content of treats. He states that treat manufacturers use sugar content to enhance treat acceptance by dogs and cats and that if they really snarf them down the human is likely to give more. He refers to these treats as "Kibble Crack" and asserts that dogs and cats get addicted to these treats. Kibble Crack is more like a term a marketing guy would come up with or even a book publisher. Did I mention that Dr Ward has a book out on this subject?I look at treats as training rewards. I only use them in structured settings to reinforce good behavior. I parcel out the treats, too. I give just enough treat to keep the pupil's attention. One Beggin Strip can last an entire training session for Miles. A bag will last a month.
Other people give treats because they love their dogs and cats and it makes both parties happy. I'm totally OK with that too, up to a point. Like my Mom always said, "All things in moderation." I'm assuming she didn't mean small batch bourbon when she said that, but as far as ice cream, chocolate chip cookies, T-bone steaks and pet treats go, she's right on as usual.
Dr Ward has a list of offending treats with high sugar content on his web site. I found it heartening that none of those treats were made by my old friends at Purina. Whether you need to avoid these treats or not is debatable. I don't sit around and drink sugary soft drinks as a matter of course, but nothing beats a cold coke in the middle of a four hour bike ride either. Just don't over do it, as your mother warned. Make sure your pet's main meal is balanced and healthy and account for the calories in treats when you determine how much to feed your pet on any given day.
Anyway, this site has lots more than a catchy angle about pet treats to make it useful. If you are wondering about the subject of pet obesity you should surf on over and take a gander.