Not unlike ourselves, it's easy to over feed our pets. Between their regular feedings of that healthy dog food, they also get those in-between-meal doggie treats. And, let's not forget the "people food" snuck under the table that the kids don't want. And, anything dropped on the floor is fair game for our little furry friend. Before we know it he's no longer going for a walk, he's going for a waddle.

Many people don't realize it, but obesity in animals causes many of the same conditions as obesity in humans. Diabetes, for example. Obesity causes an increase in insulin because of increased blood glucose levels. As the need for insulin becomes higher than what the body is able to produce, diabetes mellitus will result. Just as with humans, if the condition goes on long term, the pet's pancreas will stop producing insulin completely. A regular regime of an herbal pancreas formula will help prevent and cure pancreas disease in your dog.

Another common illness that strikes our pets, as well as ourselves, is arthritis. Obesity doesn't necessarily cause arthritis, but it most certainly is a complication of our joints being required to handle an excess amount of weight. Our pet's joints react the same way under the stress and strain of a heavy body. Their joints being damaged can also lead to ligament damage. The animal's bones, ligaments, joints and muscles are all severely impacted when he's is allowed to become obese and sedentary. Start your pet on a program of a natural formula which will provide calcium with oatstraw, devil's claw, horsetail, safflower, and other pure ingredients to aid in joint and bone health.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension is also common in overweight dogs. The heart has to pump extra hard to get the blood to all that extra body tissue. If the heart continues to be overworked, the dog could go into congestive heart failure. This can be a very serious condition for a dog. The pet's immune system needs boosting just like their master's. Since they live in this world of polluted air and other toxic environments, protect them with an immune boosting formula of dogwood, echinacea, goldenseal, astragalus, pau d'arco, cloves, cat's claw, yew tips and korean red gingseng.

And not to be forgotten is the respiratory system. Just as it's difficult for the overweight person to climb that flight of stairs, so is it for the overweight family dog. Because there's extra fat produced in the chest area, the lungs can't expand as much as they should. This causes shortness of breath and, eventually, could lead to serious respiratory disease, just as it could for humans. For temporary respiratory ailments, rely on an all-natural herbal formula that will help dissolve mucus and relieve chest congestion.

The obvious consequences for an overweight pet is that he or she is not going to have a quality of life that they could have if they weren't carrying around those excess pounds. If they're able to enjoy any activity, it won't be as much as they could without the extra weight. Don't they deserve a chance to live a full, rich life; running, jumping, and playing in the park or the ocean? Think about it the next time you're tempted to give in to that face begging for that greasy cheeseburger that you're eating. Instead, get him on a program of an herbal multivitamin and mineral complex, give him a healthy dog food and treats, and take him for a walk in the park.