Fat Farms Help Chubby Pets Lose Excess Weight

Weight reduction programs can help chubby pets get fitter.

Obesity is a serious health condition for both humans and animals and increases the risk of diabetes, heart diseases, cancer and stroke. The rising incidence of obesity in pet dogs and cats gave rise to exercises and fat farms for animals with new fangled exercise rotuines like  'Pawlates', 'Doga' and 'Barko Polo'. Around 53 percent of dogs and 58 percent of cats are obese and overweight, say officials from the Association of Pet Obesity Prevention in Calabash, North Carolina. These pets are vulnerable to life threatening diseases and have reduced lifespan.

Many of the fat camps or weight loss sessions are conducted for five days at a stretch to train heavy pets. These camps engage dogs in fun outdoor activities like swimming, hiking, treadmill trots and provide only healthy food like carrots, string beans and organic granola as treats. Fitness practices like Doga and Pawlates help build flexibility, balance and control by stretching and using heavy exercise equipment. In Barko Polo, the dogs that bark first while paddling get rewarded with a toy, reports the Associated Press.

"The dogs work for their meals. We praise and make the sessions fun and interactive," said Debora Montgomery, the spokesperson of Pawlates in New Jersey, reports the Greenbay Press Gazzette.

Table scraps, extra treats and inadequate physical activity make pets chubbier overtime. More than 80 percent of the pet lovers over-feed their four-legged pals by giving treats more than two times in a day.

"Children and cats and dogs don't feed themselves. We treat our pets like children," said Ernie Ward, a veterinarian and founder of Association of Pet Obesity Prevention.

Apart from fitness camps, many pet training facilities help busy pet owners by taking dogs for swimming or long walks. However, veterinary health officials warn pet owners to check for safety and quality of services provided by pet training amenities before sending their cat or dog to fat farms.