Almost half of all American adults are overweight. The percentages for our pets are even worse with 54% of dogs and 59% of cats classified as overweight or obese. This is especially troubling news considering obesity is a leading contributor to so many pet health issues including arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease and cancer.   Thankfully, there is arguably no simpler and cheaper way to improve the overall health of our pets than helping them achieve and maintain a proper weight. Dr. Samantha Nieves is today's guest and shares a host of ideas, resources and encouragement to help pet parents fight the battle of the bulge with their furry loved ones.   Here are links to information we talked about today: Use these pictorial guides from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention to determine your pet’s body condition score Guidelines on Selecting Pet Foods from World Small Animal Veterinary Association Treat Guidelines for Dogs from UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Walk My Dog Program 2022 is a great way to include regular exercise into your weight management plan   Got a question for Michael and Stephen? Run across something interesting you want to share with the show? Do you have a topic idea for a future episode? Send it to us at thefamilypetpodcast@gmail.com.