You don’t need to see the vet to tell whether your cat or dog is overweight. In fact, vets sometimes are reluctant to point out that a pet is getting a little chubby, especially if the owner has a weight problem. Use these simple guidelines:

How easily can you feel your animal’s ribs when you run your hand along its side? You don’t want to have just skin and bones, but it shouldn’t take any digging to feel the ribs.

Viewed from above, your dog should have an hourglass figure.

From the side, your dog should have a waist; that is, after the chest, the dog’s figure should go up.

Is the animal having difficulty getting around? Sleeping a lot? Being bad-tempered? All are possible symptoms of a weight problem.

Have your pet checked before starting a weight-loss program.