Xanax for dogs and cats with body disorders?

I admit I am not an "animal nut." I have nothing against the cute creatures except picking up poop from the sidewalk, (who didn't cringe when they saw photos of gorgeous Hugh Jackman picking up his doggy's do?), cleaning kitty boxes and paying vet bills. It's probably because I didn't grow up with pets. Whenever my siblings or I would ask for a cat or dog my mom would tell us to play with our sisters and brothers. Can you blame her with ten kids, 13 years apart, in Iowa, with freezing winters?

When I first saw commercials for diet food for dogs a few years ago I should have predicted the U.S. economic crisis. If Americans are spending money to buy special food for dogs to lose weight clearly they are overspending. But when I brought up that ad at a dinner party with some friends recently they defended it--saying dogs do get fat.

Then they told me about taking their pets to animal therapists...you read it correctly...there are homeless people on the streets but some people are making a good living diagnosing animals psyches.

One woman said she brought her dog to the vet and the doc said her pet was stressed and needed to take Xanax. Another friend said when her cat gained weight the kitty didn't like to be petted and this is the advice she got from her vet, "Your cat has body issues. She's gained too much weight and thinks she looks unattractive. " So my friend spent the next month holding a mirror up to the cat's tummy and repeating that the kitty was beautiful.

By the end of the evening they had me thinking I was the crazy one and maybe I am...what do you think?