About a quarter of Britain's dogs are clinically obese according to a new report from pet charity, PDSA. And, according to a new 'fat map', Britain's fattest dogs are in the north-east of England - with 28% of the dogs there being obese.

Experts also said that fat dogs are likely to live 2 years less than lean dogs and have a much poorer quality of life. The report also said that many dog owners have no idea that their dogs are overweight and feed them unhealthily with treats such as crisps and chocolate.

The PDSA analysed the weight of 4000 dogs between March and October last year. After the north-east, Scotland and Northern Ireland followed with obesity at 26% and London with 25%. The leanest dogs were in the south-east (excluding London) coming in at 12%. The PDSA has been collecting data on fat dogs for three years via mobile pet clinics but this is the first time it has presented an overall view.

Spokeswoman Elaine Pendlebury said, "Our figures show that there is a real need for pet owners to help their overweight dogs lose those excess pounds. Too much weight on a dog can accelerate arthritis, lead to diabetes and ruin its quality of life."

She continued to say that dog owners should exercise their dogs more and, in extreme cases, alter their diets. Plus, that giving dogs too many treats is the quickst way to make them obese - even small snacks can make them quickly put on weight. The PDSA also reports that in the last 20 years the number of obese cats has doubled and that even rabbits and hamsters have increased in overweight numbers. Some animal charities have even taken to prosecuting pet owners over overfeeding their pets.

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The author is editor of the pet health insurance site www.pet-health-insurance.org.uk.