Help pudgy pets lose the weight

You're used to seeing pudgy pets come through the doors of the clinic. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, an estimated 54 percent of cats and dogs in the U.S. are considered overweight or obese. Animals who are overweight are at risk for shortened life spans due to knee and joint injuries, heart and respiratory disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and other serious disorders. To help combat pet obesity, BluePearl Veterinary Partners announced Wednesday the start of The Biggest Shedder, a nationwide pet weight-loss competition to encourage and motivate pet owners to help their furry companions get to a healthy weight. Open to any pet owner with an overweight cat or dog, the first weigh-in deadline is February 13.

How to participate

Step 1. Encourage clients to bring their pet into your clinic to see the veterinarian. He or she can check to see if the pet is indeed overweight, determine how much they may need to lose, come up with a plan to lose the weight and figure out a realistic goal to reach by the contest end date of June 14.

Step 2. Clients should bring their cat or dog to the veterinarian for a quick weigh-in every couple of weeks and post their pet's progress. Prizes are given away at each weigh-in, and those pets that reach their goal by contest end are entered to win the grand prize.

Prizes

The grand prize for the contest will be one-year worth of Hill's pet food for the winning pet and an iPad provided by Trupanion Pet Insurance for the owner. Pfizer Animal Health will provide additional process for progress weigh-ins. The pet's veterinarian will verify the winner's information.

For more information, click here.