Britain is considered to be a nation of dog lovers so why are so many of our pets overweight ?
The situation was so worrying for TV vet Scott Miller that he set about collating some statistics on how many steps certain breeds of dog should walk each day. The RSPCA find that two thirds of dogs overweight which makes them more susceptible to conditions such as heart disease, arthritis, diabetes and liver problems.
According to Miller’s research a Dalmatian should take 25,000 and 30,000 steps a day for the dog to have received enough exercise .
Likewise, a Jack Russell should take 20,000 steps; a German shepherd should take 23,000; a golden retriever 18,000 and an English setter 22,000. Small dogs like Shih tzu should take 10,000 steps but a greyhound will be happy with 12,000 steps.
Petplan, the pet insurance company is marketing the ‘Petometer’ as a result of the amount of claims for conditions caused by obesity .
When you buy the Petometers at a cost of £4.99 for a pair, the instructions say "The first thing you will have to do, is approximate your dog's stride. The best way to do this is to wait until he is standing still. Then, as your pet takes a step forward approximate the measure between the two front legs."
Once you have established this using whatever means you can manage you then have to enter the weight of the dog into the device, press the buttons a few more times and you are ready to count your dogs steps.
The easiest way to attach the Petometer is on a dog collar as the manufacturer state it should be worn "closest to the shoulder blade".
After going on a walk a glance at the Petometer’s screen shows a series a numbers indicating the number of steps the dog has taken and so justifying the manufacturer’s claim of "This unit is a precise electronic product."
However just how accurate these devices are, remain to be seen.
