Pharma & Healthcare #PublicHealth

One Out Of Three Dogs And Cats Is Overweight And It's Costing Us

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So is the dog and cat obesity epidemic simply a byproduct of what's causing the human obesity epidemic? Well, many of the causes may be similar. For example, your schedule and lifestyle can dictate your dogs' and cats' schedules and lifestyles, except for the times that they are actively plotting against you. Your neighborhood layout affects how much physical activity you and your pets get. Many of the additives such as artificial ingredients and excess salt and sugar that have permeated your food supply have also permeated the food supply of dogs and cats, especially when you give them table scraps or share a spaghetti strand over candlelight. Your diet and your environment (e.g., pollution) can affect your and your pets' metabolisms and microbiomes, which can in turn affect weight, as detailed in a paper published in mBio.

But there are differences. Owners may not be aware of the dog and cat obesity problem. Can you actually tell when your dog or cat is overweight? Certainly, you probably know that you should be able to see your dog's legs and not have a cat who is completely spherical. But did you realize that you should be able to feel your dog's or cat's ribs if he or she is normal weight? Do you even regularly feel for their ribs? Do you even know what your pet's waist should look like? Here's a video on how to quickly examine your dog:

Without a way to properly monitor your pet's weight and his or her diet and physical activity level, you could be inadvertently stuffing your dog or cat with too much food and not providing enough exercise. Moreover, how much attention are you paying to the food that you are feeding your pets? As Serena Williams demonstrated, dog food (and cat food) isn't the same as human food. After all, humans don't always treat dogs and cats the same as they do other humans. Sometimes, it's worse. Sometimes, it's better.
