BANGOR, Maine — Diets...diets..diets! We hear about them all the time and might have even tried some ourselves in the quest to lose weight and stay fit but experts say just because something is working for you, doesn't mean it will work for your pet.
"You need to see something that actually makes you feel good about what you are doing... good about what you are eating," said Jackie Conn, the manager of Weight Watchers Maine.
Pet owners sometimes think buying grain-free products or giving your furry friend a vegan or vegetarian products or raw foods will help them but actually this trend can cause health problems for many pets.
"There are so many ways that people are choosing for themselves to eat, and often times trying to choose something unique for their pet," said Dr. David Cloutier, veterinarian and owner of the Veazie Veterinary Clinic.
Many give leftovers including meat and chicken scraps to pets but Cloutier says theses can cause harm in the long run and cause animals to gain weight.
"That becomes the go-to for everyone, I am going to give them meat scraps, I am going to give them chicken, I am giving them an egg. People always tend to think protein. We see a lot of dogs that are overweight. We are constantly battling overweight dogs," says Cloutier.
Cloutier says dogs should NOT regularly be fed the things you typically eat. Fruits and vegetables are fine, with the exception of grapes and raisins.
Cats, on the other hand, are meat-eaters. The smartest move for them is to buy a nutritionally complete cat food.
In just the last few months Cloutier has seen five cases of cardiomyopathy or heart failure in dogs. He thinks it may well have been an issue of diet, especially owners that only give grain-free products to their dogs.
"All of those owners were unaware that this was a potential risk and most of them, actually all of them, unfortunately, were led to believe that they were feeding their dog a more healthy diet," said Cloutier.
Cloutier says it is important that pet owners stick to the standard diet for cats and dogs.