Pet owners have been advised to give their animals more exercise, such as dog training games, in order to prevent weight gain.
Mark Bossley, chief vet at pet charity Blue Cross, claimed that pet obesity can lead to many health problems but assured consumers that the problem could be rectified if they put their animal on a diet and get them to exercise more frequently.
"Obesity is one of the biggest problems facing pets in the UK and the consequences to their health can be very serious," he said.
"But it's never too late to tackle the problem and there are lots of ways you can help them to get healthy again. Make sure you take your dog for regular walks, introduce active games for both cats and dogs and your vet can advise you on a healthy, calorie-controlled diet."
Research by Blue Cross revealed that it is not just humans who over indulge at Christmas, with 17 per cent revealing that their pets had been sick from eating too much chocolate during the festive period.
Furthermore, just under one in ten respondents said that their animal had choked on turkey bones.
