With mince pies to tempt us, christmas dinners to indulge in and endless parties offering delicious canapes, it's perhaps inevitable that over the holiday season we'll all put on an extra couple of pounds.
And the same goes for Fido, too. Over the Christmas period, our pets' waistlines tend expand alongside our own, meaning that come New Year our canine companions are often rather out of shape.
As any dog owner will know, when there are guests in the home dogs tend to receive extra treats, and many of us can't resist slipping them a tasty bit of turkey from the dinner table.
However, with canine obesity a growing problem in the UK, owners really can't afford to allow their pets to pile on the pounds at Christmas, and should therefore take the appropriate steps to keep Fido in shape.
And the first thing to do is to cut back on the treats. Speaking to the Dog Daily, pet blogger Jessica Bush says: "Doggy begging during family mealtime can be an annoyance, and if you give in by feeding your pet table scraps, you could unknowingly be adding several extra pounds to its waistline."
If you are going to indulge your pooch outside of their mealtimes, rather than feeding them human food it is a far better idea to use healthy premium dog food treats designed for canine consumption.
And if you're going to do so, try and take this amount of food out of their regular dinner or breakfast, as this will mean that your pup is consuming no extra calories on a daily basis.
What's more, while you may be tempted to crash out in front of cheesy Christmas movies this festive season, your dog will still need to be walked if they are to stay in shape and not become bored and destructive.
So make sure you take the time to go for a run in the park or a walk in the countryside every day with your four-legged friend, as this will ward of weight gain for both of you.
Written by: Hannah
