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Couch pet-atoes

Arti Jaiman

Where: Lucknow, India

July 18, 2007: First it was kids. Now, it's the dogs. Middle class families across India are plagued by obesity. In other words, from the master to his pooch, everyone is fat, and very likely sick.

According to a report in The Times of India, doctors at the Government Veterinary Hospital (GVH) in Lucknow estimate that nearly one in every three pet dogs in the city is falling sick because of the kind of lives their owners lead.

People keep dogs for a variety of reasons, from wanting a dog to guard the house to acquiring a playmate for their kids. What they do not realise is that a dog needs to be walked thrice a day. Not just a stroll around the block, but a nice long run that will keep the dog's legs and muscles fighting fit and its body weight down.

Too busy to spend time with their dogs and too lazy to take their dogs for a long walk, owners are instead stuffing their dogs with expensive dog food. The end result of all this feeding: dogs are not getting enough exercise and actually getting diseases like diabetes and high blood sugar!

Call this a dog's life?