Animal charities are calling on owners to address their pets diets and prevent an obesity crisis among the nations dogs and cats.

Battersea Vet Phil Robinson says: The amount a pet needs to eat depends on its breed, age and size, but as a rough indication, a small dog only needs about 350 calories a day while a cat is looking at about 280 calories. So a slice of toast is equal to a third of the dogs daily calories. Do not fall for those appealing eyes when you are eating your dinner, as your pet simply does not need your scraps. Obesity can lead to a host of health problems and is a silent killer.

Phils top 5 food offenders for dogs.

• For a dog One chipolata is the same as a 12oz steak for humans.  Sausages are very fatty for animals, no matter how tasty they are. Swap them for a healthier sliver of ham.
• A 3cm cube of cheese for your pet is the same as a whole cup of molten fondue cheese for you. Cheese is made from milk which contains lactose – a sugar that can accelerate dental disease.
• One custard cream amounts to half a pack of custard creams.  These are full of sugar, which dogs and cats do not require. Stick to biscuits designed for animals.
• A handful of ready salted crisps is the same as a slice of pepperoni pizza. Lots of people slip their pet a crisp without thinking, but it is basically a disk of pure oil and salt. Avoid them at all costs.
• A slice of white bread or toast amounts to half a loaf of white bread. Bread is high in calories and should be avoided. Animals can be intolerant to wheat, which can lead to skin flare-ups.

What to do for your overweight dog

We all know how easy it is to put on weight and once having put it on how difficult it is to lose it. Overweight dogs are much more likely to develop diabetes, arthritis and heart and respiratory conditions. So there are good reasons why an overweight adult dog should not only be returned to its ideal weight but also be maintained at it.

This is where a specially formulated light food can be used to advantage. With the light food you do not need to cut down drastically the amount you feed the dog and it will have a well-balanced diet which provides the correct amount of calories alongside all the other essential nutrients and not leave the dog feeling hungry.

This is where Wolfit can help with specially formulated food which provides the right number of calories and nutrients but has the bulk that makes the dog feel satisfied.