Why Our Pets Are Getting Fat

March 30, 2010

Interview with Ernie Ward DVM, author of the book Chow Hounds: Why Our Dogs Are Getting Fatter -A Vet's Plan to Save Their Lives

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Mike Carruthers:
Dogs like their owners are getting fatter and it’s affecting their health and longevity.

Ernie Ward DVM:
And that’s really sad because not only is their life cut prematurely short but the last year or two of these dogs life, it’s painful and it’s expensive.

Veterinarian Ernie Ward, author of the book Chow Hounds, says the problem for dogs is the same as it is for people – lack of exercise, and a lousy diet.

But for me if I can only attack one element I would say we’ve got to really look at the treats. The dog treats that we fed as children and not the dog treats that your dog is eating today. Today these treats are so full of sugar and fat that I call them kibble crack. Because not only do they cause unnecessary weight gain you’re creating these cravings, this food addiction that results in all types of abnormal behaviors – including begging and hyper vocalization.

Why are manufacturers adding sugar and fat? Marketing.

They know that if they can make an enticing treat for a dog that he will devour almost immediately (that first bite preference) then the owner will perceive that as, “Wow my dog really loves this.”

So when you buy your dog treats look at the ingredient list on the package.

And you’ll start to see sugar in the form of sucrose and glucose and high fructose corn syrup and a whole array of other sugars because dogs, like humans, like the sweets.

To hear the complete unedited interview, click here