• Too much food leads to an overweight pet.portion de crocettes pour chat image by Canaricrea from Fotolia.com
  
  An overweight pet is not a healthy pet. When a pet is overweight, it has an increased risk for heart and thyroid problems, shortening its life expectancy. According to The Pet Center, 40 percent of America's pet population is overweight. An overweight pet should be examined by a veterinarian to ensure that its weight problem is not being caused by an underlying medical issue. If a medical issue is not the case, then the reason for pet obesity is simple: The pet is consuming more calories than it is burning. With a few simple steps, you can help fight your pet's obesity and improve their health.
  
  

Feeding Schedule

• Feed your pet according to the feeding guidelines recommended on the back of its pet food container. Most pet foods have a recommended feeding schedule and amount on the back of the container that is dictated by your pet's weight. Weigh your pet and put them on this feeding schedule. An animal should never be allowed to free feed, as unmonitored food intake will allow it to consume more calories than it burns every day. If your pet is already on such a feeding schedule, reduce its food intake by 25 percent.
  
  

Exercise

• Exercising your pet more often will help it lose weight, just as exercising helps a human lose weight. Regardless of the type of pet you own, it needs exercise. If you own a rodent, buy it an exercise wheel and encourage it to use it. If you own a larger animal, like a dog or cat, increase the amount of time you actively play with it. If you own something larger, such as a horse, take an active interest in exercising it by walking or riding it more often. Without exercise, your pet will not gain muscle or burn more calories.
  
  

Treats

• Feed your pet fewer treats; pet treats are not meant to be fed multiple times a day. Feeding your pet a treat twice a day is quite enough. Limiting treats to after or during playtime with your pet is an effective weight management strategy. This rewards your pet for staying active and limits the amount of treats they consume.
  
  

Human Food

• Do not feed your pet human food. Animals are not meant to consume human food, especially when they are on a healthy diet of pet food. Table scraps do not contain the healthy nutrients for your pet that are found in its own food. Instead, they contain a high amount of unnecessary calories. If your pet frequently consumes human food, this is likely a cause of its obesity.