Are 50 of dogs overweight

Obesity in Dogs: A Major Health Threat Hiding in Plain Sight

This Is a Paid Advertisement for The Farmers Dog

Theres a weight problem in America and it isnt just affecting humans.

The most recent statistics classify the majority of dogs in the U.S.56%as overweight or obese. While that makes obesity a major health crisis for dogs, its a problem thats often overlooked, as many pet owners may not even realize their pets are overweight.

I see people coming in constantly with 90-pound Labs and they say, she looks great, says Dr. Ernie Ward, DVM, CVFT, and founder of theAssociation for Pet Obesity Prevention(APOP). Well, actually, that dog is 15 pounds overweight. But weve normalized it. This kind of dog embodies what APOP has called the fat pet gapthe misalignment between what we think a dog should look like and what a healthy body composition should really be.

Obesity in dogs comes with significant consequences. In fact, Ward and other vets call it our pets biggest health threat. And its not an isolated issue; obesity is linked to a whole raft of health problems including arthritis, chronic kidney disease, bladder/urinary tract disease, liver disease, low thyroid hormone production, diabetes, heart failure, high blood pressure, and cancer. We think its very important that people understand this isnt just a cosmetic issue, says Dr. Ward. There is a physiological consequence to this.

A slimmer margin of error

While obesity is loosely defined as 30% above ideal body weight (there is no universally accepted definition forpets), veterinary experts say just being overweight impacts pet health. And thats one of the challenges in addressing this issuemany pet owners may simply not realize thereisan issue.

You look at your dog and it seems healthy and its active and doesnt have any apparent health issues, says Ward. So you say, its normal, and by extension its morphology, or its size, is normal. But the problem is that we often dont know what what normal is when it comes to dogs, so we project our own human-centric perspective. In human terms, we think we just need to drop five pounds, says Ward. Well, the amount of physiological impact of a few pounds is much, much greater and more concentrated in pets than in people. Five pounds on a cat is catastrophic. Five pounds on a Lab is significant. We think a few pounds off my Lab; what could the consequence of that be..? But the consequences are that Labs hips are deteriorating, its causing damage to the kidneys, its probably causing high blood pressure which is causing a constellation of problems, and its increasing cancer risk.

Dr. Carol Osborne, an integrative veterinarian at Chagrin Falls Pet Clinic in Ohio, echoes the fact that a dog doesnt have to be clinically obese to experience health consequences. Being just 10% overweight decreases a dogs lifespan by one-third and predisposes him to heart, kidney and liver disease as well as diabetes, arthritis,and cancer, she says.

Osborne says that adipose tissue (aka fat) is filled with blood vessels, and the added rich blood creates inflammation. This all creates an environment attractive to cancer cells and increases a dogs risk of developing the disease, she says.

Cancer is the number one killer of dogs today, says Osborne.

And, for some smaller breeds, extra pounds make a huge difference. Three extra pounds for canines in the toy category is the equivalent of gaining approximately 30 pounds for you or me, she says.

Holistic veterinarian and researcher Dr. Jean Dodds, of Hemopet veterinary center in California, says the health effects of having even a marginally overweight dog include reduced energy with resultant less exercise, easy keeper (gains weight on small amounts of food), skin and hair coat conditions, and irregular female reproductive cycles, if intact.

Conversely, obese dogs may benefit from even just slight weight loss. According to aclinical trial published in 2010,obese dogs with osteoarthritis showed a significant decrease in lameness from weight loss starting at 6.10%.

Another study,published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2018 found that being overweight was associated with a shorter lifespan in the 12 dog breeds studied. The estimated reduction in lifespan for the overweight group was up to two-and-a-half years.

We look at a dog with obesity and if a dog loses as little as 6% body weightthats six pounds on a 100-pound Retrieverit makes a difference, says Ward. It doesnt take a lot of weight loss to make the pet feel better. I really try to emphasize that when Im talking to (pet owners) because its a quality of life issue as much as a longevity and disease-prevention issue.

Osborne says shes seen this quality of life improvement from weight loss time and again. One of her clients came in with a two-year-old male Pomeranian named Smokey that weighed in at 45 pounds. When he first visited, the dog already had one cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) surgery on a hind leg and was about to have a second. Osborne changed his dietwhich involved stopping the dry kibble and replacing it with chicken and fresh vegetables.

At this point he is down to 22 pounds, she says. He acts, feels and looks like a puppy instead of sleeping under the kitchen table most of the day and barely moving at all. Hes running around the house, ready to play and having a ball. And he wont need another surgery after all.

Rewriting your dogs future

For pet owners with dogs who are not obese and who arent showing obvious health symptoms, the concern may not seem as pressing. But Ward warns against not taking action when you can.

I see too often a 10-year-old Lab mix and suddenly they cant get into the car because of crippling hip arthritis caused by obesity, he says. But if you can rewind the tape, you dont have the years of cumulative damage. (Obesity) is a slow and insidious and silent killer, and people may know its happening, but they dont take action until theres a crisis. I say that nobody treats obesity until theres a catastrophe. And when its catastrophic, you may not recover.

A guide for dog owners: How to assess your dogs weight

The question remains: How can pet owners determine the ideal weight for their dogs?

The rib testOsborne says it begins with keeping regular track of your dogs body condition. She recommended the rib test.

Stand behind your dog, gently run your hands along either side of the rib cage, she says. You should be able to easily feel, but not see each rib, and your dog should have a waist or a tucked up area in front of the hind legs. If you can pinch more than an inch and/or your dog has lost his waist, its probably time to think about reducing.

The standing testWard opts for another method. I recommend you do the standing test. Look at the dog from the sidelean down and look from the sideand see [if] their abdomen or stomach is sagging, he says. Then I look from the top: From standing I should see an hourglass indentation in front of the hips. You should see the chest extend out and the waist tapers in making an hourglass.

While dogs vary widely in body shape and volume of hair and fur, Ward says this test should work for 95% of dogs (he notes that exceptions include English Bulldogs and Pugs).

Food matters most

Many vets agree that weight loss begins and ends at the food bowl for dogs and cats. Based on available literature and experience, Ward breaks down the weight-loss math this way: 60-70% diet and 30-40% exercise.

So, knowing exactly how much to feed your dog becomes key. Like many experts, Ward cautions against using the guidelines on most commercial dry dog food packages to determine how much youre feeding. The parameters, which are based on adult dogs for all life stages, are far too broad to accommodate every dogs needs. For example, Ward says, spaying or neutering a dog reduces their energy requirement by 20-30%. So already, if youre feeding according to guidelines youre overfeeding a pet who is spayed or neutered, he says. I see so many pet owners say Im feeding exactly what they say on the bag, and its like no, thats too much.

Its a good idea to work with your vet to assess your dogs body condition, muscle condition, lifestyle and any concurrent medical conditions and determine how many calories you should be feeding.

You can also consult the tools available online(including on APOPs site)which provide a good estimate of weight ranges and caloric needs by breed and size.

As to food quality, Osborne recommends fresh food including lean protein like chicken, turkey, fish, eggs and tofu, and fiber through fresh vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage and spinach.

While some dog owners hesitate around the idea of feeding people food, this kind of real, fresh food is more nutrient-dense, and more bioavailable than dried, processed food. Those planning to prepare fresh food at home for any length of time should be sure to consult their vet to ensure meals are correctly balanced and contain the necessary vitamins and nutrients.Subscribing to a fresh-food plan makes it easier, and safer, to feed nutritionally balanced meals.

While food is the biggest factor, pet owners should also plan to exercise dogs for a minimum of 20 minutes, twice a day. And be careful with snacks. You can use fresh veggies as healthy treats and avoid processed mystery-ingredient treats and things like pig ears, and bully sticks.

If you dont eat it, neither should your dog, Osborne says.

How to Tell If Your Dog Is in Shape Or Overweight

If your pooch is looking a bit more pudgy than usual, its actually quite common. The battle of the bulge isnt just something people face so do pets. In fact, according to a 2018 survey conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention,55.8 percent of dogs in the United Statesare overweight or obese. And that extra weight can cause a lot ofhealth issues for your dog, includingcanine diabetes, heart problems, and painful arthritis.

Wondering how to tell if your dog is fat or overweight and needs to lose a few pounds? Read on to examine the signs you can look for to determine whether or not your dog is fat and how you can get your pup into shape to stay healthy and happy for years to come.

Check Your Dogs Body Shape

One of the simplest ways todetermine if your dog is fatis to look at the body shape. Looking at your dog from above, if you notice that the pup looks rather rotund and oval-shaped, its likely that your dog is fat. If, on the other hand, you notice that your dog has a defined waist toward the rear and a straight build down the sides, then theyre probably at a healthy weight.

Feel for Your Dogs Ribs

The feel and prominence of your dogs ribs are a major indicator of weight issues, says Dr. Sara Ochoa, DVM, a veterinary advisor forDogLaband practitioner atWhitehouse Veterinary Animal Hospitalin Whitehouse, Texas. If your dogs ribs arent extremely prominent and you can easily feel them without having to press hard, then the dog is fit, she says. For overweight dogs, its very difficult to feel their ribs because there is too much fat in the way.

Look at Your Dog From the Side

Asagging waistor swinging stomach is another tell-tale sign of a fat dog. When viewing your dog from the side, look for a waist that is slightly raised rather than simply hanging down and oval-shaped. A dogs abdomen should not be the same level as the chest and should be tucked up, says Dr. Ochoa.

Check Your Dog for Fat Pads

Excess fat on your dogs body is also a major indicator of being overweight. Some animals will have fat sacks between their legs that will waddle when they walk, says Dr. Ochoa. She also recommends inspecting your dogs hips during petting sessions. Overweight dogs will have fat pads on the top of their hips.

Examine Your Dogs Behavior

Overweight and obese dogs are typically inactive and spend a lot of time scarfing down their food. If you notice that your dog has become a couch potato, has trouble walking, exhibits trouble breathing when walking, and generally appears to have trouble moving about, they might be fat. Also, if youfree-choice feed your dogthroughout the day, this can encourage obesity.

Weigh Your Dog

The best way to tell if your dog is overweight or obese is with a weigh-in at your veterinarian. Your vet can then tell you whether your dog is overweight according to yourdogs size and breed. Remember that a healthy weight will look different for every breed. For example, most sighthounds should have visible ribs.

They will also examine your dogs body and compare it to abody condition score chart, which ranks a dogs body type by shape. Typically, scores range from one to nine, with one being very underweight and nine being extremely overweight. The target body condition usually lies in between, around four to five.

Consider the Health Effects of Being Overweight

While having a portly pup may seem adorable, those extra pounds can pack quite the punch when it comes todogs developing obesity-related health issues. Overweight dogs can develop a number of serious health conditions, including:

• Diabetes.
• Skin problems.
• Heart problems.
• Joint problems.
• Kidney disease.
• Canine arthritis.
• Certain cancers.
• Liver problems.
• Mobility issues.
• Breathing problems.
• High blood pressure.

Carrying extra weight is especially hard onbreeds like dachshundsbecause they can develop back problems andchubby brachycephalic dog breedsmay experience trouble breathing. Large dog breeds may even developcanine orthopedic issues, especially when theyre still growing, if they become overweight.

Canine obesity-related health issuescan cause long-term problems for dogs and can shave years off your pups life. Fortunately, by losing weight, your pooch can avoid or even reverse many of these conditions.

Develop a Dog Weight Loss Plan

If your veterinarian determines that your dog is overweight, youll have to start a weight-loss plan. The two things to target are reducing calorie intake and increasing the amount of time youexercise your dog.

Encourage yourdog to exerciseby going on 10 to 15 minute walks each day to start, recommends Dr. Ochoa. Gradually increase the amount of time you spend walking your dog per day and the briskness of the walks toup to 2 hours total each day, depending on your dogs breed and age, according to the Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals. Most importantly, make the walks fun by praising your dog for being active and rewarding your pup with lots of attention. You can also sign your pooch up for acanine agility class as part of an exercise routine.

If agility isnt the right fit for your dog, there are many other AKC Sports that can provide fun and exercise for you and your pup.

With the help of your veterinarian, develop a calorie and portion-control weight loss plan for your dog. Just decreasing the amount of food your dog eats per day by about 10 percent will help your pet lose weight, says Dr. Ochoa. Your vet can also recommend a high-fiber, lower-calorie food for your pup that will keep them feeling fuller for longer.

Once you know just how much to feed your dog each day, divide your pups meals into a morning and evening portion. This way, your dog wont become hungry later in the day.

Most importantly, keep treats to a minimum, says Dr. Ochoa. Treats and cookies have added calories. By decreasing the amount of treats given or totally eliminating them from their diet will help your dog lose weight, she recommends. You can also supplement your dogs diet with healthy, low-calorie snacks like steamed or rawvegetables that are safe for dogslike celery, carrots, green beans, broccoli, and cucumbers.