American pets are packing extra pounds these days, to the detriment of their health.
According to Banfield Pet Hospital's annual State of Pet Health report, about one in three of all dogs and cats they treated in 2016 were overweight.
Banfield treated about 2.5 million dogs and 500,000 cats last year, according to its website, meaning approximately 1 million of those animals were overweight.
Banfield reports that American cats and dogs have progressively gotten fatter since 2006. In that 10-year span, the number of overweight cats has increased by 169 percent while cases of overweight dogs have increased by 158 percent.
The hospital says pet owners can tell if their animal is overweight if their ribs are not easily seen or felt and their waist is barely visible.
A variety of issues contribute to a pet's weight, including activity level, overfeeding and breed. Banfield says among dog breeds, Labrador retrievers, Cairn terriers and cocker spaniels are predisposed to becoming overweight; among cat breeds, the Manx and Maine coon are predisposed.
Banfield's report also found that certain ailments have increased as weights have increased. For example, since 2006, diagnoses of arthritis have risen 82 percent in dogs.
Click here to read more statistics from Banfield's report, including a state-by-state breakdown of most common pet names, breeds and ailments.
Clint Davis covers entertainment and trending news topics for the Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @MrClintDavis. Keep up to date with the latest news by following @ScrippsNational on Twitter.
