RALEIGH—As many of us continue to work to keep our healthy new years resolutions intact, we shouldn’t forget our four legged friends at home.  A recent viral video of Honey the Begal and her incredible weight loss story, is helping bring to light the important of keeping our pets weight in check. 

A recent 2016 study found that nearly 60% of cats and nearly 55% of dogs are considered overweight or obese in the United States.  And the problem only increases with age. 

Dr. Alexa Gonzalez of Park Veterinary Hospital and Urgent Care in Durham, is a member of the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association, and offers us some tips on how to help our pets maintain a healthy weight. 

She said that table scraps add up, so don’t feed your pets human food, especially from the table.  She says just like we do with our own food, check the nutrition labels for our animals food and make sure it’s appropriate for our animals size and age. 

Dr. Gonzalez says that monitoring our pets food schedule and the amount of food they consume is key.  She also adds that exercise is key, so many sure you take your pet on daily walks, and offer them fun alternatives to guided exercise like playing with toys.