Dr. Karen Becker of Barks&Whiskers reported that obesity is the number one health threat facing dogs and cats in the U.S. in a blog post on January 15th, 2023, "Obesity continues to be the greatest health threat to pets, in that it kills millions prematurely, creates immense pain and suffering, and costs tens of millions of dollars in avoidable veterinary expenses."
The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) reported that in the U.S., 59% of dogs and 61% of cats were classified as overweight or obese in 2022.
The APOP 2022 report also noted that:
• Consistent with previous surveys, many dog and cat owners failed to recognize excess weight or overweight body conditions in their pets. Nearly one-third (32%) of owners of overweight or obese pets (BCS 6-9) classified their pet as “normal,” “ideal,” or “thin” body condition when asked by their veterinary professional.
• 36% of dog owners considered their pet’s body condition “normal” when their veterinary professional classified it as BCS 6-9 (overweight to obesity).
• 28% of cat owners considered their pet’s body condition “normal” when their veterinary professional classified it as BCS 6-9 (overweight to obesity).
• 49% of respondents reported that their veterinary professionals discussed their pet’s ideal or healthy weight yearly, compared to 46% in 2021. This suggests that half of those in the veterinary profession do not even discuss a pet's weight with their clients.
Why Should You Care If Your Dog Is Obese?
Obesity contributes to the following diseases found in cats and dogs, all of which make for more expensive veterinary bills.
Health issues for dogs related to obesity include:
Arthritis, osteoarthritis, bladder and urinary tract disease, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, kidney disease, liver disease, orthopedic disorders (elbow, hip, and shoulder dysplasia), reproductive disease, respiratory disease, and skin disease.
Health issues for cats related to obesity include:
Arthritis, osteoarthritis, bladder and urinary tract disease, blindness (due to high blood pressure), cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, kidney disease, liver disease, reproductive disease, respiratory disease, and skin disease.
A Warning from the Eighties
In the late eighties, a study examined how restricting a dog's diet would affect its health and longevity. Forty-eight Labrador Retrievers were divided into two groups. All dogs were fed the same food from 8 weeks of age until their death. One group was fed per the manufacturer's recommendation, while the second group was fed 25% less.
Effects of diet restriction on life span and age-related changes in dogs was published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association in May of 2002. It concluded that restricting food intake by 25% below the manufacturer's feeding guidelines increased the median lifespan by almost two years and delayed the onset of signs of chronic disease in the food-restricted dogs.
What Can You Do to Keep Your Pet at a Healthy Weight?
As noted above, 36% of people with dogs believe their dogs were at an acceptable weight even when their veterinarian advised them their pet was overweight or obese. Sadly, considering 50% of the dogs a person sees are likely to be overweight or obese, this is not a surprise. We compare our dog to others we see and make an assumption about our dog's weight based on that rather than what a veterinarian tells us. Meanwhile, our dog suffers.
Rather than comparing your pet’s weight to other pets around you, please download these body condition charts from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention – https://petobesityprevention.org/pet-weight-check
I remember going to a few breed-specific events with one of my dogs years ago, and others there criticized me because my dog was underweight. One of those insinuating my dog was underweight commented, “It’s a good thing you don’t show in conformation; no judge would put up a scrawny thing like that.” Incidentally, my dog was at an ideal weight according to body condition charts and lived to be sixteen years old.
The fact that pet obesity is still a problem twenty years after a study indicated we are overfeeding our dogs is beyond sad. Equally disappointing is that 51% of veterinary professionals do not discuss a pet's weight with their clients. The responsibility for the tragedy of pet obesity lies solely with human beings, both pet parents/owners and veterinarians. We must do better.
Next month, I will address additional things you can do to keep your pet at a healthy weight.
Don Hanson lives in Bangor, Maine, where he is the co-owner of the Green Acres Kennel Shop (greenacreskennel.com) and the founder of ForceFreePets.com, an online educational resource for people with dogs and cats. He is a Professional Canine Behavior Consultant (PCBC-A) accredited by the Pet Professional Accreditation Board (PPAB)and a Bach Foundation Registered Animal Practitioner (BFRAP). Don is a member of thePet Professional Guild (PPG), where he serves on the Board of Directors and Steering Committee and chairs the Advocacy Committee. He is also a founding director of Pet Advocacy International (PIAI). In addition, Don produces and co-hosts The Woof Meow Showpodcast,available at http://bit.ly/WfMwPodcasts/,the Apple Podcast app, and Don's blog: www.words-woofs-meows.com.The opinions in this post are those of Don Hanson.
