PIZZA, takeaways and cakes are amongst the foods in which are fuelling pet obesity.

The news comes after Royal Canin who manufacture and supply dog food analysed the feeding habits of dog owners.

The study discovered that extra calories dogs are being fed through foods such as pizza and cake adds up to 54,000 a year.

If a medium dog was to overeat at this rate it would be the equivalent of a human eating 340 cheese burgers, 1310 chocolate chip cookies, or 360 ice creams every year, in addition to their regular meals.

The study shows that Cocker Spaniels are the breed most likely to be fed from their owner’s plate at meal times (21%), however, looking at whole meals, almost three quarters of Golden Retrievers have eaten an entire Sunday Roast in the past six months.

Hannah Poile, Scientific Communications Manager for Royal Canin Canine Care Nutrition, said: “The research has brought to light some shocking results and shows that we could be loving our dogs a little bit too much!

“By highlighting the differences between a human’s nutritional needs and their pet’s, we hope to enable owners to better understand the needs of their animal.

“The four most commonly fed titbits are different varieties of meat which you could assume are the healthy choice, however these foods could easily lead to digestive upset, weight gain, or even skin issues.”

The study showed one in five dog owners admitted that they believe giving their dog extra treats from their own plate shows them that they love them.

Hannah added: “Portion size is also really important. A medium-sized dog needs almost 50% fewer calories than its owner to maintain a healthy weight and shape. Giving this size dog just one sausage roll could amount to over a third of its daily calorie requirements, so it’s really easy for this to quickly add up and result in a pet becoming overweight in a relatively short space of time.

“As well as the obvious dangers of obesity such as heart disease and joint conditions, these foods can also be linked to many other health problems including digestive issues, skin problems and tooth decay.”

Dairy is amongst the top food allergens for dogs which lead them to have digestive issues.