The 2012 State of Pet Health shows “dramatically increased” numbers of chronic conditions,  according to Banfield Pet Hospital. The nationwide chain of veterinary offices, via a statement The Sacramento Bee, notes these unfortunate statistics in particular:

• In the last five years, overweight and obesity increased 37 percent in dogs and 90 percent in cats.
• Only 36 percent of dog owners and 28 percent of cat owners said they would take their pet to see a veterinarian to manage an existing disease or condition.

Good timing: Meow the 37-pound rescue cat got his 15 minutes of fame, getting to meet Anderson Cooper on TV thanks to all that chub. Hopefully, his disappearing flubber will help others slim down; he was nearly 40 pounds when his elderly owner dropped him off. He needs to shed at least 25 more pounds before he’s healthy enough for adoption.

I wrote about the pet-obesity epidemic in February, after the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention found similarly disappointing results. With bikini season coming up and all, what are you doing to keep your pet healthy, well after new-year’s resolution season?

Photo: Living in Monrovia on Flickr.