One of the most popular ads from the recent Superbowl featured an overweight dog unable to fit through the doggie door. So he works out—runs, pushes weights, swims—until he trims down, can fit through the door, and cut loose to chase a shiny red Volkswagen.

No doubt the ad hit home with lots of pet owners. Unfortunately, the obesity epidemic now affects our pets, dogs and cats who eat too well and exercise very little. And just like with people, being overweight can lead to all sorts of health problems for our pets.

The topic is so important that I’m going to spend many columns helping you to help your pets. Just like with humans, losing weight is never easy. But with a little time and dedication, you can make sure your pets live long and healthy lives.

Let’s start at the very beginning. How much should your pet weigh? How do you know when your pet is overweight or even obese? There are two body conditioning scales that we base it on, a scale from 1-9 and a scale 1-5. To make it easier we will use only the 1-5 scale. Basically 1 is when your pet is too thin and and a 5 is when your pet is obese. A body condition score (BCS) of 3 is the perfect ideal weight.

Is your pet overweight? Healthy pets have some padding over them, but a little is plenty. Rub your hands over your pet’s ribs. The skin should move easily back and forth, and you should be able to feel the ribs but not see the ribs too much. Your pet should have a definable ”waist” at the bottom of the rib cage, a small tuck-in at the stomach,a waist line. Take a look from the side: If your pet looks pregnant, has a loss of waist line, he or she is overweight. From above, a bump out from the middle into an apple shape equally means overweight. (Please see the chart above for reference).

If you discover that your pet is overweight or obese,  what does this mean? Why is obesity so bad? If you allow your pet to be overweight because you want to give him treats, “you are killing him with kindness.” As with humans, obesity is very bad for your pets for the following reasons:

1. Increased risk of diabetes. Extra body fat leads to insulin resistance in cats just as it does in humans. In fact, obese cats have been found to have a 50 percent decrease in insulin sensitivity. Weight management is especially important in decreasing a cat’s risk for the development of diabetes mellitus.

2. Reduced life span. A study of age-matched Labrador retrievers found that dogs kept on the slender side of normal lived a median of 2.5 years longer than their overweight counterparts.

3. Arthritis. The over-weight animal has extra unneeded stress on joints, including the discs of the vertebrae and joints on all four legs. This extra stress leads to the progression of joint degeneration and creates more pain. Weight management alone decreases and can even eliminate the need for arthritis medications. The problem is compounded as joint pain leads to poorer mobility, which in turn leads to greater obesity.

4. Increased Surgical/Anesthetic Risk. Obesity poses an extra anesthetic risk. Drug dosing becomes less accurate because it is based on an animal’s lean body mass. One never knows if an animal has to be put under anesthesia in an emergency situation.

5. Respiratory Compromise. The obese pet has a good inch or two of fat forming a constricting jacket around the chest. This makes the pet less able to take deep breaths as more work is required to move the respiratory muscles. Areas of the lung cannot fully inflate, so coughing results. The pet also overheats more easily. Many cases of tracheal collapse in a dog can be managed only with weight loss.

So being a weight watcher for your pet is as important as it is for all members of your human family. Watch for future articles.

Talia Goldberg, DVM writes on pet-related issues for Woman Around Town. Have a question about your pet? Send it to Dr. Goldberg at WATExplorer@gmail.com