WFAA-TV

A diet pill for dogs will soon hit the market.

They share our homes, our beds and often our table-food.

And now man's best friend shares something else with millions of Americans - fat.

By some estimates, one in four pets is overweight, with the first diet drug for dogs set to hit the market soon.

Dexter can only drag himself around.

This is what fat has done to the seven-year-old dog.

A few months ago, the paunch on this dachshund's belly caused him to blow a disc in his back.

He is partially paralyzed.

Like people, pets are packing on the pounds.

Veterinarians now report seeing more tubby tabbies and corpulent canines than ever before.

The result, experts believe, of guilt ridden owners overcompensating for their own busy lifestyle.

"Instead of taking our pet out for a walk which is something that's very rewarding for them and for us, we reward them with a treat. It's very fast. It's very rewarding for us. We get love for giving them a morsel of food, a treat," said veterinarian Dr. Susan Brashear.

Dolly Manion admits it's hard for her to resist her adorable beggars.

And when she refuses to give in, they find other crafty ways to snack.

"He's constantly scrounging for food. This kid is just ravenous. I think he would literally eat until he exploded!"

Too much love has found Lucy, the more than big-boned mastiff, with a huge weight problem.

And Bogey isn't much better, even though he may look small.

"His abdomen is actually just as wide as his ribs so this is a concern."

Both have been put on diets. Low-cal pet chow is now a multi-million dollar industry.

"I have to be disciplined because they're not," Manion says.

That is because what happens to heavy humans and also happens to portly pets.

Obesity can shave two to five years off an animal's lifespan.

"Diabetic cats are up really on the rise and diabetic dogs as well. Heart disease as well is a really big problem. And so we're dealing with a lot more patients that we're putting on heart medication," Brashear said.

At the Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center, hundreds of cats and dogs each year are going under the knife because of joints literally crushed under excess weight.

"It's not a cheap condition. The average pet owner will spend anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 if they come in with one of these ruptured discs," said Dr. Katherine Wells, a veterinary surgeon.

Dakota's owner now feels terrible that her best friend nearly lost her leg, a complication of being too beefy.

"To look at her and see that I could've avoided this," said Janie Moser.

After an expensive surgery and rehab, Dexter's reflexes are improving. Feeling is returning to his hind legs.

"He's making good improvement," she said.

But his owner now regrets taking too long to put his doggie on a diet.