They say dogs are like their owners.

Well if these pictures of the world's fattest pets are anything to go by, there must be some obese dogs-lovers out there, as well as cat and guinea pig owners.

And while chihuahuas may win claim to being the world's most expensive canines, costing almost £90,000 over its lifetime, we're sure the food bill for these animals set their owners back a pound or two.

Sadly experts say overweight dogs are likely to die two years earlier than lean ones and have a much poorer quality of life, so let's hope the diet commences soon.