Feb 16 2009
Pet Obesity on the Rise, According to New Study Results
A new study indicates cat and dog obesity is on the rise. The study, conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention discovered more than 57% of cats and 44% of dogs are overweight or obese.
The study was done in October involving 95 United States veterinary clinics, which examined 669 dogs aged 1-16 years old and 202 cats aged 1-19 years old.
According to the study’s findings the number of overweight and obese cats increased by 1% from 2007 to 2008 and the number of overweight or obese dogs increased by 4 percent. It was found that 17.8% of cats and 9.6% of dogs were obese while 39.6% of cats and 34.7% of dogs were found to be overweight.
From these findings, the study estimates there are 15.7 million obese and 35 million overweight cats in the United States. The study also estimates there are over 7.2 million obese and 26 million overweight dogs in this country.
Older pets were more likely to have weight problems than younger ones. Specifically, the study found 55% of cats and 52.1% of dogs over the age of 7 years old were overweight or obese.
Furthermore, most pet owners realized their pets had weight problems. For instance, 71.5% of cat owners with overweight or obese cats admitted their cats were overweight or obese when asked by a veterinarian and 60% of dog owners knew their dogs were overweight or obese.
Obesity leads to many preventable diseases, such as diabetes and arthritis. If you have an overweight or obese pet, please take him or her to a veterinarian to work on a healthy weight loss plan for your pet. You can help your pet live a longer, healthier life.
