Obesity in pets is common in many countries. Rates of overweight and obesity in dogs in the United States ranges from 23% to 41% with about 5.1% obese.[1] Rates of obesity in cats was slightly higher at 6.4%.[1] In Australia, the rate of obesity among dogs in a veterinary setting has been found to be 7.6%.[2] The risk of obesity in dogs but not cats is related to whether or not their owners are obese.[3]
In Australia, obesity "is their most common nutritional disease."[4] Obese dogs and cats have a higher incidence of arthritis and heart disease. In fact, fatness to the point of health impairment is enough of a concern that Pfizer developed and got Food and Drug Administration-approval for a drug (Slentrol) to treat canine and feline obesity.[5]
Multiple pet owners have been prosecuted for cruelty to animals due to their dangerously obese dogs. Two British brothers were cited in 2006 for cruelty and neglect of their chocolate labrador retriever, "who was allegedly made so obese by his owners that he 'looked like a seal' and could barely waddle a few steps".[6] Cats have also been found to suffer from morbid obesity.
The reasons for obesity of cats and dogs in wealthier countries is not simply a matter of overfeeding. Lifestyle influences also play roles. In modern times, pets are often, for their own safety, not allowed to free roam as they did in the past. Modern day pet foods are a higher quality food, and dogs, as natural scavengers, are prone to gorging themselves whenever the opportunity arises. In evolutionary past, this was the only way as they wouldn't know where their next meal would be coming from. More recently, pet and working dogs were fed on scraps of whatever was left over. Modern food, developed specifically for dogs, are nutritious. However, owners are prone to overfeeding dogs, as they see the bowl of food and think that it looks like not enough. The taste of dog food encourages dogs to want to feed more.
Believe me, they can make you feel guilty.
