Obesity in Pets

*crossposted* (but worrying)

Almost 80 per cent of vets say they now treat an increasing number of obese pets



Obesity is on the rise in pets as the general health of the nation's animals declines, according to research today.

And as with humans, the increase in the numbers of paunchy pets is being blamed mainly on overfeeding, lack of exercise and poor diet, according to the study.

The research for pet insurer More Than found almost 80 per cent of vets are seeing increasing numbers of obese pets, yet 90 per cent of owners believe their pets are not overweight.

They also found three-fifths of vets are reporting a growing number of 'human style' illnesses and disorders such as diabetes and arthritis.

Sophie de Pelet, Veterinary Advisor for the insurer said: "Pining by a cat or dog is often read as a sign of hunger, and hence owners feed them, rather than recognising that it is more often than not a call for attention.

"Pets begin to log these traits and play up to their owners, and as a result, without even realising it, owners could be increasing the risks of obesity and related illness such as diabetes, arthritis and high blood pressure.''

And after interviewing 100 vets and 2,500 owners the researchers discovered just over a quarter of pets have suffered from behavioural problems, such as hyperactivity, stress and depression.

They say the cause could be people spending more time away from the home and changes to lifestyles such as a new baby or an additional pet.

Ms de Pelet added alternative treatments and diets could be prescribed to help fight pets' problems: "Obesity and behavioural symptoms are significantly on the increase as the health of the nations pets is in decline.

"A lot of attention is paid to the impact of factors such as poor diets and the stress of family break ups on humans and their health, yet what we are seeing is that our pets are suffering in a similar way.

"As vets, we are now able to treat a wider range of illnesses than we could ten years ago, yet the state of pets' health in the UK is deteriorating.

"Not only can the traditional methods of medicine be applied, but alternative treatments and dietary advice can now be prescribed.''

She advised owners to ensure pets had regular health and weight checks, to monitor food consumption carefully, and ensure daily exercise

Some people don't realise they are killing their pets trough kindness

I see a lot of porky dogs around, lots of Labs and Retrievers for some reason.

liberty

well max was obese on friday but we are working on getting him back down

from the birthday cake diet Katy ?
you spoil him

cavaliers are prone to being over weight I see lots of them around ....it's a shame that a breed with heart problems already are allowed to be over weight and I MEAN allowed .... a little bickie and a treat here and there will kill the bredd...........

lol lel yes the birthday cake diet is really not good for you,. on a serious note though i am doing my upmost to make sure max doesnt get over weight as its easier to not gain than it is to lose weight i should know lol

Its a big problem in lots of Staffords too where owners seem to mistake a dog that is fat for a dog that is "chunky" or "muscly" I hear that excuse all the time, if I had a penny for every time an owner has told me about their "muscly" "wide" stafford only for me to be confronted with a fat barrel I would seriously be rich just now. Yes another few breeds I do see a lot heavier around here are the Labradors and Bullmastiffs too.

I see a huge amount of overweight dogs every day and in my opinion that is just as bad as starving a dog as we know it can lead to so many health problems. Now we as people do not like to be fat so I cannot understand why we keep our pets this way.

Okay so I am very fickle about weight issues in dogs but you dont have to be to realise that more food and less exercise will cause problems and yes too many people killing them with kindness. Actually is over feeding kindness? I think not. I think more people should get off their backsides and think about proper nutrition and conditioning of dogs rather than allowing them to be couch potatoes like their owners. Its not fair!

Laura

We are extremely Lucky with Rocky in that he needs to work up an appetite - he simply won't eat much if he hasnt been out for his walks.

Mind you he does eat LOADS lol but I only give him natural Pascoes which is good. Saying that he would eat endless amounts of dog treats if he had the chance, but hes not allowed them! (because they contain so many addatives/chemicals) I wouldn't eat processed rubbish all the time so I don't feed it to him either

harley is overweight but it ain,t our fault,he was like that when we got him

we have cut his food down and he,s lost alot since we had him
but he could still do with losing some more

I have the opposite problem cant get Star to keep weight on.