Take a look at this Chart of Body Condition Scores. Their Website has one like this for felines too. Just like in people, excess FAT taxes the body and leads to diseases like diabetes (sugar problems), heart problems and many other often avoidable diseases in addition to joint problems. It's usually caused by taking in more calories than your pet burns off, and usually the high carbohydrate dry dog food (kibble) diets and lack of exercise that cause the excess fat.
I don't like to call it weight control because that doesn't differentiate between fat and muscle and big muscles aren't the problem - it's too much fat that I'm saying is unnecessarily making animals suffer with diseases and even die sooner than they should. It's also causing pet owners to have to spend more on doctor visits. If you love your pet and want to enjoy a more healthy and perhaps longer life with them, and decrease vet bills, then you need to help them get fit.
At Marlin's, our dietitian will help you control exactly how many calories your pet is taking in - and we have fitness monitors that tell you how many calories they are burning off. This way, we can accurately, gradually take off the excess fat and increase their muscle - making them SUPERFIT!
Ya Gotta Love It! No more worrying about starving your buddy or accidentally killing them with kindness.