It's not uncommon for vets to check over animals that are overweight. 

In fact, a local veterinary clinic is saying that roughly half of the animals they treat are overweight, and in some cases the owners are unaware. 

There are various reasons as to why a pet would become overweight; however, in plenty of situations it's due to unknowingly over-feeding your four-legged family members. 

"Some of it is related to the amount of exercise that dogs are getting and the food intake," explained Tyra Dickson, a Veterinarian at the Moose Jaw Animal Clinic. "Sometimes it's just not realizing how many calories are in a certain amount of food."

Dickson said that while they might cute and chubby, you could be negatively impacting their health.

"More problems with joints, more possibility of having diabetes, problems with constipation which happens more with cats, and it can even cause problems with breathing in some dogs."

Thankfully in many cases pet owners are able to change a few daily routines and get their cat or dog back to a healthy weight.

"Increasing exercise and decrease the amount fed. Possibly decreasing treats, because treats can account for a large amount of calories that you're not necessarily counting or thinking about with their daily food intake."

As an example, Dickson said half a cup of food often requires two to three hours of vigorous physical activity for the animal.

She noted that if you fear your pet is becoming or is overweight, you should bring them into your local veterinarian, as they will help you determine a meal and exercise plan. This could save you expensive vet bills down the road.