Pet slimmers of the year

Hill’s Pet Nutrition has announced the winners of its annual Pet Slimmer of the Year competition.

The competition – which is in it’s 13th year - is run in conjunction with veterinary surgeries across Europe, to ensure weight loss is achieved gradually and healthily.

This year’s winners are Scrappy the dog – who lost an amazing 29 kg - and Benji the cat, who lost 3.5kg. These animals have not only lost weight but, more importantly, have shown a new zest for life as well. Their prizes include a year's supply of free Hill's food and pet accessories and holiday vouchers for the owner.

Regional winners of the competition included a cat and dog treated for weight loss at the Blue Cross hospital is Merton. Paris, a 14-year-old cat, was 2kg overweight at 7kg. She was put on a special diet and her owner encouraged Paris to exercise. She now weighs 4.95kg and is much healthier.

Blossom (pictured) is a ten-year-old Golden Retreiver, and weighed 40kg – 10kg over her target weight. Thanks to The Blue Cross, she is now a respectable 32.8kg.

It has long been recognised that obesity in both humans and animals can lead to arthritis, diabetes, breathlessness, reluctance to exercise and heart problems. These conditions can become very serious if the obesity is not managed appropriately.

After an initial weight check, the pet owner and healthcare professional spend time discussing the dangers of obesity and what can be done. The dog or cat is then placed onto a weight loss programme, including feeding the appropriate Hill's food, free regular weight checks, reference to support literature and entry into the Pet Slimmer of the Year competition.