It's the season of love, and pet parents may be tempted to spoil their dogs with table scraps and snacks. While a few may seem harmless, showing love for pets through extra food can often result in weight gain, posing a serious health risk for pets.
That's why Hill's Pet Nutrition, a global leader in science-led nutrition, has teamed up with country music artist Chris Lane and his wife Lauren Bushnell Lane for its annual 'End Pet Obesity' campaign to raise awareness about the risk of overweight pets.
Chris and Lauren are not only parents to their two sons, but also to their two shelter dogs, Chloe and Cooper. As a family, they prioritize health and wellness to live a healthy life, which includes being aware of their pet's needs and feeding them the proper nutrition.
"After a delicious barbecue dinner, it's so tempting for Chris and me to mindlessly give Chloe and Cooper a couple of scraps each–and I'm sure many pet parents out there can relate," said Lauren Lane. "At our last vet visit, we learned that Chloe is a few pounds overweight, which can lead to greater health risks. Thankfully, Hill's has shown us that by switching foods, we don't need to make any drastic lifestyle changes to get her on the way back to a healthy weight. We can still feed her the same portions, AND she loves the taste."
Chris Lane added, "Hill's has helped us show Chloe and Cooper our greatest form of love–keeping them at a healthy weight, in the most convenient way possible. We know this new way of feeding will allow us to watch our kids and our dogs make special memories together for a long time. We encourage pet parents to talk to their veterinarian about doing the same if they have concerns about their pet's weight."
A proactive approach for pet parents starts with a simple at-home tool. To help assess a pet's weight, Hill's has created the L.O.V.E. Test, which includes four actions:
- L: Locate the pet's ribs
- O: Observe from above
- V: View from the side
- E: Evaluate feeding behavior
Upon completion of the test, which can be found here, pet parents who have concerns about their pet's weight should seek guidance from their veterinarian.
"At Hill's, our goal is to empower pet parents to show the ultimate form of love this year by proactively discussing their pet's weight with their veterinarian," said Dr. Karen Shenoy, chief veterinary officer at Hill's Pet Nutrition. "Tools like the L.O.V.E. Test help start these conversations. From there, veterinarians can recommend the right food to support a pet's weight loss journey. Hill's offers a variety of weight management products, including Hill's Science Diet Perfect Weight. When fed this nutrition, more than 70 percent of pets lost weight within 10 weeks.1"
To learn more about Hill's 'End Pet Obesity' campaign, access free tools and resources for pet weight management and take the L.O.V.E. Test for a chance to win $5,000, visit www.endpetobesity.com.
