“Plump Pups and Fat
Cats: A Seven-Point Weight
Loss Program for Your Overweight Pet”
by Steve Duno (St. Martin’s Griffin)
Reading this title, some pet owners will wince. What’s next—a Twelve-Step program for dogs and cats? Not to worry. Steve Duno’s smart, crisply written book will be useful to owners fighting the battle of the bulge on behalf of their pets. Duno, an animal behaviorist, claims that over 25 percent of all domestic canines and felines in the U.S. are significantly overweight. The reason? Too much food, coupled with too little exercise, the same reason that there’s a epidemic of obesity in the human population.
The problem is a real one, says Duno: “These millions of beloved pets will live shorter lives and be prone to a host of disorders and diseases ranging from hip, back, shoulder, knee, and foot problems to hypertension, stroke, increased risk of cancer, diabetes, liver and kidney dysfunction, heat exhaustion, respiratory difficulties and heart disease.”
Duno urges owners to reevaluate their feeding habits. “Let’s face it: Your dog or cat does not whip herself up a big meal whenever she’s hungry,” he says. Leaving food around all day can promote unwanted pounds. Also, those loving little snacks and treats are a killer, when added up. And get off the couch, pooch potatoes; “People or pets who exercise on a regular basis become more confident, happy, and psychologically sound than those who never lift a finger.” Or a paw.