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Dog and cat owners who buy diet pet foods may be feeding their animals more calories than they realize.

That’s because the calorie counts of pet foods marketed for weight control vary widely, according to research by the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. The study also found that feeding instructions on diet pet foods are often inaccurate and may even lead to weight gain in some animals.

The study, published in The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, counted the calories in 93 commercial pet foods marketed for weight control, including 44 dog foods and 49 cat foods.

The amount of calories in just one cup of dry diet food varied widely. Depending on the product, one cup of dry dog food had 217 to 440 calories. For cats, a cup of diet food contained 235 to 480 calories. That means a pet owner accustomed to serving one cup of dog food could inadvertently add more than 200 calories a day to their pet’s food simply by switching brands.

The calories in a can of dog or cat food also covered a wide range. For dogs, a can of diet food contained 189 to 398 calories. For cats, a can of diet food had 78 to 172 calories.

Feeding recommendations also varied. For some brands, the suggested serving sizes amounted to feeding about 25 percent fewer calories than the pet’s resting energy requirement, whereas recommendations from other labels amounted to 50 percent more calories than the animal’s resting energy needs. And half the foods studied also contained more calories by weight than typically allowed under federal guidelines for the marketing of light and low-calorie pet foods.

The study authors noted that for most of the foods studied, pets would not lose weight and might even gain weight if pet owners followed the feeding instructions on the label.

The lesson for pet owners is to talk to their veterinarian about the specific daily calories needs of a pet that is overweight. If the vet recommends a calorie-controlled food, discuss the best options and read the label to determine calories counts. If the feeding instructions on the label don’t match the recommended calories suggested by your vet, talk to him or her about adjusting the serving size or switching foods.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ? Pets are a big part of the family for millions of Americans and just like humans, pets are living longer.

Now, veterinarians say they're seeing more cases of dementia in pets, but how you can spot the signs and what you can do about it?

"She was a member of the family almost instantly. She had her own personality. We had other dogs, but she joined right in and became one of us real quick," pet owner Andy Oshop said.

There's an inexplicable bond between pet owners and their animals.

"If I'm there watching TV, I've got two of them usually there right around me and that's the way I like it," Linda Oshop said.

Andy Oshop bought a cocker spaniel puppy named Samantha for his wife 16 years ago as an anniversary present. Lately, the Beaver County couple noticed subtle changes in her behavior.

The Oshops now have to carry the dog outside and put her out in the grass and carry her back inside because she wouldn't find her way back in.

Dr. Mike Hutchinson calls that a classic sign of cognitive dysfunction or dementia.

"They'll start barking at strangers, or they won't greet you the same. They won't wag their tail. They won't give you that famous hello when you come into the house. They act like they are not interested, they aren't barking when someone comes to the door," Dr. Hutchinson said.

Samantha used to chase a ball up and down the steps, but now even that is dangerous after a recent fall.

Research at U.C.-Davis in California suggests as many as 39 percent of aging dogs show at least one sign of dementia. Veterinary research suggests this so-called doggy dementia isn't much different than Alzheimer's disease in humans.

"They found that they had the same plaques with protein -- amyloid -- that was blocking these neurotransmitters or these chemicals in the brain from sending messages between the cells, so it was the exact same problem we are seeing in people," Dr. Hutchinson said.

Dr. Hutchinson said dementia tends to be more prevalent in smaller breeds, largely because they live longer. He believes what we feed our pets can make a big difference.

For the Oshops, they are enjoying the time they have with their beloved pet.

Giving your dog a bone is a dangerous practice and can cause serious injury to your pet, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a consumer update Wednesday.

"Some people think it's safe to give dogs large bones, like those from a ham or a roast," says Carmela Stamper, D.V.M., a veterinarian in the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the Food and Drug Administration. "Bones are unsafe no matter what their size."

10 reasons to avoid them:

• Broken teeth. This may call for expensive veterinary dentistry.
• Mouth or tongue injuries. These can be very bloody and messy and may require a trip to see your veterinarian.
• Bone gets looped around your dog's lower jaw. This can be frightening or painful for your dog and potentially costly to you, as it usually means a trip to see your veterinarian.
• Bone gets stuck in esophagus, the tube that food travels through to reach the stomach. Your dog may gag, trying to bring the bone back up, and will need to see your veterinarian.
• Bone gets stuck in windpipe. This may happen if your dog accidentally inhales a small enough piece of bone. This is an emergency because your dog will have trouble breathing. Get your pet to your veterinarian immediately!
• Bone gets stuck in stomach. It went down just fine, but the bone may be too big to pass out of the stomach and into the intestines. Depending on the bone's size, your dog may need surgery or upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, a procedure in which your veterinarian uses a long tube with a built-in camera and grabbing tools to try to remove the stuck bone from the stomach.
• Bone gets stuck in intestines and causes a blockage. It may be time for surgery.
  Constipation due to bone fragments. Your dog may have a hard time passing the bone fragments because they're very sharp and they scrape the inside of the large intestine or rectum as they move along. This causes severe pain and may require a visit to your veterinarian.
• Severe bleeding from the rectum. This is very messy and can be dangerous. It's time for a trip to see your veterinarian.
• Peritonitis. This nasty, difficult-to-treat bacterial infection of the abdomen is caused when bone fragments poke holes in your dog's stomach or intestines. Your dog needs an emergency visit to your veterinarian because peritonitis can kill your dog.

Giving un-cooked marrow bones from the butcher is ok.