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Canine obesity is now the number one health concern in dogs worldwide. Regular physical activity can improve health, and owners are advised to exercise their dogs on a regular basis. However, limited information exists about associations between overweight status of dogs and walking activity. An online survey was conducted between June and August i...
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Citations
... Teng et al. (2020) found out that mixed breed cats had higher probability of developing obesity or overweight than purebred cats (Teng et al., 2020), increased prevalence of obesity in mixed breed cats has been also observed in other studies (Teng et al., 2017). German et al. observed high prevalence of obesity in breeds like Beagle, Golden retriever, Pug, Cavalier King Charles spaniel and Labrador retriever and that medium sized dogs were 1.4 times more likely to develop obesity than toy breeds (German et al., 2017). Two meta-analyses, one in cat (Bermingham et al., 2010) and one in dog (Bermingham et al., 2014), does not show any effect of breed variation in energy requirement; it can be related to appetite of the animal but there is incomplete information in this regard (Larsen et al., 2016). ...
Obesity, is a life-threatening condition common among various animals, is a multisystemic disorder that may affect the gastrointestinal system, urinary system, reproductive system, respiratory system, and musculoskeletal system. According to various studies, more than 50% of cats and dogs are obese. Many proinflammatory and inflammatory cytokines, hormones, and enzymes play a part in the production of fat tissues that lead to obesity. Excessive deposition of fats give rise to conditions involving inflammation, oxidative stress and damage, immunomodulation, hyperlipidemia, dyslipidemia, neoplasia, hypothyroidism, and insulin resistance. This review paper acquires the knowledge of various scientific manuscripts to discuss the development and consequences of obesity in pets especially cats and dogs.
... Numerous studies reveal that dog ownership is often associated with increased walking time and leisure-time physical activity overall among adults [10][11][12] as well as a heightened sense of community [13]. Although evidence on the effects of dog walking on dog health is relatively scarce, obesity is now the top most health concern in dogs globally [14]. Studies reported that the risk of being overweight among dogs declined gradually for each one hour of exercise undertaken [15]. ...
... Children in families with dogs tend to have higher levels of physical activity (Owen et al. 2010;Engelberg et al. 2015). Furthermore, dogs that regularly exercise tend to maintain healthier weight (German et al. 2017). ...
Two case studies in Texas, one in a built environment and another in a natural setting, illustrate potential ground heat hazards when walking dogs on warm days. In the first case, temperatures of four different ground surfaces—concrete, grass, chip seal, and tar—were measured along a street in a suburban neighborhood. The study involved two morning and two afternoon surveys of 30 sampling locations where all four materials were present. Air temperatures, typical of the study area in summer, ranged from 78.0 oF (25.6 oC) in the morning to 96.1 oF (35.6 oC) in the afternoon. Ground surfaces reached much higher temperatures, exceeding 150 oF (65.6 oC), in the afternoon surveys. Median temperatures were highest in tar, followed by chip seal, concrete, and grass. The second case involved shallow lake water and various types of mud, sand, cobbles, rock fragments, and grass along a nature trail. Air temperatures ranged from 74.7 oF (23.7 oC) at 8:00 a.m. to 92.5 oF (33.6 oC) at 6:00 p.m. Ground temperatures varied considerably with material and time of day, ranging from 76.4 oF (24.7 oC) at gray cobbles and beige rock at 8:00 a.m. to 125.7 oF (52.1 oC) at brown sand at 4:00 p.m. Over the day, temperatures were highest at brown sand and lowest in water and moist sand.
... If dogs that pull are walked less, or not at all, they could be more prone to resultant weight gain. Overweight and obese dogs exercise less 46 and live shorter, 47 poorer quality lives, 48 with increased risk of comorbid pathologies. 49 Multiple studies detect a relationship between reduced walking and weight gain in dogs, 10,46,[50][51][52][53] although conflicting methodologies, age, neutering, diet, owner behaviour, breed and genetics confound the results. ...
... Overweight and obese dogs exercise less 46 and live shorter, 47 poorer quality lives, 48 with increased risk of comorbid pathologies. 49 Multiple studies detect a relationship between reduced walking and weight gain in dogs, 10,46,[50][51][52][53] although conflicting methodologies, age, neutering, diet, owner behaviour, breed and genetics confound the results. In one large UK study (n = 11,154), a relationship between overweight, exercise and undesirable behaviours was identified. ...
... In one large UK study (n = 11,154), a relationship between overweight, exercise and undesirable behaviours was identified. 54 Overweight dogs were walked less 46 and more likely to flee, be fearful, aggressive, or pull on lead. 54 However, the direction of the relationship remains unclear; undesirable behaviours such as lead pulling may prevent owners from walking their dogs, resulting in weight gain, or weight gain may prevent owners walking their dogs, resulting in undesirable behaviours. ...
Veterinary professionals (VPs) are often the first source of advice for clients struggling with their dog's behaviour, and pulling on the lead is a commonplace undesirable behaviour VPs will encounter regularly in practice. Excluding bites, being pulled over while walking on a lead is the leading cause of non‐fatal dog‐related injuries in the UK. This narrative review investigates lead pulling as a welfare concern in pet dogs, highlighting aspects of the literature of particular interest to VPs.
Lead pulling could negatively affect walk quality, frequency and duration, causing weight gain, while decreased environmental enrichment could trigger other undesirable behaviours. Aversive equipment to prevent lead pulling can cause pain, distress and injury, but even equipment considered humane can have welfare consequences. Punitive training methods could cause dogs stress, fear and anxiety and trigger aggressive behaviour. While these lead pulling outcomes are welfare concerns in themselves, they could also weaken dog–owner attachment, a risk factor in pet dog relinquishment.
Given lead pulling could affect the welfare of patients in a VPs care, clinical implications and opportunities for client education are outlined. Educating clients on humane prevention and modification of lead pulling could make walks easier, safer and more enjoyable, with positive outcomes for clients, canine welfare and the practice.
... From puppy to end of life, maintaining an appropriate or low body fat composition may be the single most important factor in overall health and mobility. Appropriate levels of body fat are highly correlated with health and longevity in dogs [16][17][18] ; this is one area in which the human-animal bond is often perceived to be at odds with the overall health of the dog. Many owners equate providing food, including highcalorie treats, with love for their pet. ...
This article highlights the recommendations and considerations for maintaining a healthy canine lifestyle. A key component of a healthy lifestyle is the enhancement and optimization of mobility. Mobility is essential in maintaining a high quality of life and involves the interplay of a dog's structure, posture, body condition score, physical exercise, and a healthy human-animal bond throughout a dog's lifetime.
... Dogs that partake in regular daily exercise have been reported to have a reduced risk of becoming obese (Courcier et al., 2010;German et al., 2017). Obesity has been reported as one of the main welfare concerns for dogs in Great Britain (Buckland et al., 2014) as approximately 50% of dogs have been estimated to be either overweight or obese (Courcier et al., 2010). ...
Regular exercise for dogs has health and welfare benefits. This study sought to address a gap in existing research regarding what constitutes ‘common’ age-specific walking practices (a common form of exercise adopted by dog owners) by owners of young dogs, and how these practices change as the dogs reach adulthood.
Dog owners living in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland participating in a longitudinal study reported the frequency and duration of their average weekday and weekend walks when their dogs were aged 16 weeks (n=2225), 9 months (n=1200) and 15 months (n=808). Owners also reported the amount of time their dogs spent on lead during these walks. For the statistical analysis, a subpopulation of dogs with data regarding walking practices at all three timepoints were used (n=609).
At all three timepoints dogs were most commonly walked twice a day. Commonly, 16-week-old puppies were walked for a total of 30-minutes on weekdays and weekend days, whereas dogs aged 9 and 15 months were walked for 1 hour on weekdays and 2 hours on weekend days.
Commonly, 16-week-old puppies spent ≥75% of total walk time on lead, whereas the older dogs mostly spent <25% of total walk time on lead on weekdays and weekend days. Most owners reported using a short rather than a long lead (for example, a flexi-lead, training line, long line).
For the subpopulation of dogs for which data were available at all three timepoints, the total duration of walks on both an average weekday and weekend day increased significantly as the dogs aged. The proportion of total walk time spent on lead on both an average weekday and weekend day significantly decreased as the dogs aged.
This study can provide veterinarians and dog behaviourists with an insight into the common walking practices of owners with puppies and young dogs, which potentially could help them advise their clients on appropriate practices for the health and wellbeing of their dogs. Additionally, this study can potentially be used as a baseline for comparison for other populations of dogs at these age points, as the practices described by owners within this large sample offer an indication of the walking practices by owners of young dogs. Future research within this longitudinal study will explore how walk frequency and duration are associated with dog behaviour, welfare indicators and health outcomes, and what factors are associated with walk frequency and duration.
... Profile qualitative variables on the dynamics of weight loss programs in dogs with a high metabolic rate that, when associated with the low deposition of adipose tissue, prevents premature aging, locomotor diseases, and delayed decline in the metabolic activity [38]. This suggests that muscle mass helps to maintain an increased energy expenditure and therefore may help to prevent obesity. ...
Obesity is the most common nutritional disorder in dogs and it is associated with many comorbidities. Some obesity risk factors have already been established, however, the evaluation of the effect of different individual variables on weight loss induced by calorie restriction, although very important, is still poorly explored. The weight loss protocol can be updated and improved by more precise and adjusted equations throughout the weight loss program in the clinical routine practice. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze weight loss program dynamics in groups according to reproductive status, age, body size, and breed, as well as to define more accurately the amount of calories per target metabolic weight throughout the program. Data of 1,053 cases, presented between 2012 and 2019 at the Veterinary Hospital of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science of the University of São Paulo (FMVZ-USP) were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 77 obese dogs (body condition scores 8/9 or 9/9) of different ages, breeds, sizes, and reproductive status were selected. These dogs did not have any concomitant illnesses and successfully completed the weight loss program. Statistical analysis was performed and values of p≤0.05 were considered significant. The proposed weight loss program was based on an energy restriction protocol where daily energy intake (in kcal) was estimated as 70 kcal × target weight0.75. The target weight (TW) was defined as 80% of the animal’s current weight. The average calorie intake for weight loss (calories x target weight0.75) was lower for spayed females (62.36), differing from intact males (66.14) and neutered males (65.41), while intact females (63.66) showed intermediate values without differing between groups (p = 0.015). There were no differences between weight loss calories according to age (p = 0.473) or body size (p = 0.084), allowing the use of the same mathematical equation for intact and neutered dogs; for dogs older than 1 year and of different body sizes. Regarding the breed, the average calorie intake was lower (p = 0.002) in mixed breed dogs (61.54xTW0.75) when compared to obesity-prone purebred dogs (64.17xTW0.75) and other purebreds (65.27xTW0.75). It was concluded that spayed females and mixed breed dogs have greater difficulty in losing weight, that is, they need fewer calories per metabolic body weight for the weight loss program to succeed. A more accurate equation for energy requirement for weight loss can improve chances of success, therefore improving compliance and helping clinical management of obesity in dogs.
... Labrador Retrievers showed predisposition to obesity in the current study (OR 1.62), which is similar to odds ratios previously reported (OR 1.47-1.70) 29,45,65 . The welfare of dogs is compromised when they are overweight or obese, with obesity associated with a number of disorders including osteoarthritis, type II diabetes mellitus, lung problems and urinary and reproductive disorders 47,66 . ...
The Labrador Retriever is one of the most popular dog breeds worldwide, therefore it is important to have reliable evidence on the general health issues of the breed. Using anonymised veterinary clinical data from the VetCompass Programme, this study aimed to explore the relative risk to common disorders in the Labrador Retriever. The clinical records of a random sample of dogs were reviewed to extract the most definitive diagnoses for all disorders recorded during 2016. A list of disorders was generated, including the 30 most common disorders in Labrador Retrievers and the 30 most common disorders in non-Labrador Retrievers. Multivariable logistic regression was used to report the odds of each of these disorders in 1462 (6.6%) Labrador Retrievers compared with 20,786 (93.4%) non-Labrador Retrievers. At a specific-level of diagnostic precision, after accounting for confounding, Labrador Retrievers had significantly increased odds of 12/35 (34.3%) disorders compared to non-Labrador Retrievers; osteoarthritis (OR 2.83) had the highest odds. Conversely, Labrador Retrievers had reduced odds of 7/35 (20.0%) disorders; patellar luxation (OR 0.18) had the lowest odds. This study provides useful information about breed-specific disorder predispositions and protections, which future research could evaluate further to produce definitive guidance for Labrador Retriever breeders and owners.
... In addition to motivating owner exercise, dog walking has mental health benefits [4], particularly the longer 'recreational walks' undertaken after work and on weekends [5]. Exercise levels are also an important predictor of canine obesity [6], and amounts given vary widely within and between dog breeds [7]. A UK study estimated that on average, dogs are exercised 7 times per week, for a total of 220 min per week (approximately 30 min per walk) [3]. ...
Background:
This study investigated the impacts of the first COVID-19 UK lockdown on dog walking and ownership.
Methods:
An online survey was circulated via social media (May-June 2020). Completed responses (n = 584) were analysed using within- and between-group comparisons, and multivariable linear and logistic regression models were created. Open-ended data were coded into key themes.
Results:
During lockdown, dogs were walked less frequently, yet for a similar duration per week and closer to home. Dogs whose owners lived alone, or whose owners or household members had heightened vulnerability to COVID-19 were walked less than before, as were high-energy dogs. A minority of owners continued dog walking despite exhibiting symptoms or needing to self-isolate, justifying lack of help, dog behavioural problems, living in less populated areas, and the importance of outdoor exercise for their mental health. Dog ownership had multiple benefits (companionship, purpose and motivation; break from bad; positive to focus on) as well as challenges (changes in dog behaviour, balancing dog needs with public health guidance, accessing pet food/supplies and services, and sharing crowded outdoor spaces with others). Most did not have an emergency care plan for their pet before the pandemic and only a handful developed one.
Conclusions:
Findings can be used to inform public health and dog welfare strategies for future lockdown situations or other disasters and emergencies likely to impact on daily routines.
... Furthermore, studies have demonstrated that rapid weight gain during the first year of life is detrimental to skeletal development [25][26][27][28]. In a similar vein to cats, neutering also increases the risk of obesity in dogs in addition to sex, breed and owner characteristics/behaviours [2][3][4][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]. As such, healthy growth is essential during this critical timeframe and needs to be closely regulated. ...
... This could be explained through the difference in male and female sex hormones [60], which could result in differing food intake effects between sex post-neutering. Notwithstanding this, the incidence of obesity in adult dogs that are neutered is much higher than that of entire dogs [3,[29][30][31][32][33]61]. However, many other factors are also related to canine obesity, such as age [2,31,33,61], breed [3,32], activity level [31,33,62] and owner characteristics and behaviour [62][63][64]. ...
... Notwithstanding this, the incidence of obesity in adult dogs that are neutered is much higher than that of entire dogs [3,[29][30][31][32][33]61]. However, many other factors are also related to canine obesity, such as age [2,31,33,61], breed [3,32], activity level [31,33,62] and owner characteristics and behaviour [62][63][64]. It is difficult to isolate or quantify the significance of each individual risk to obesity. ...
An appropriate energy intake for healthy growth can reduce the risk of obesity and co-morbidities, such as orthopaedic diseases. The 2006 National Research Council (NRC) universal equation calculates the energy requirement of growing dogs based on predicted adult body weight, but evidence suggests a revision may be required. This study investigates the energy requirements of seventeen Norfolk terrier puppies over their first year (10 to 52 weeks). Puppies were individually fed complete and balanced diets in amounts to maintain an optimal body condition score (BCS), recording intake daily and body weight and BCS weekly. To monitor health a veterinary examination, haematology and plasma biochemistry and serum measures of bone turnover were undertaken every 12 weeks. Skeletal development was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (26 and 52 weeks). Puppies were clinically healthy with normal skeletal development and healthy growth throughout. The energy intake to achieve this was significantly lower than that predicted by the NRC (2006) equation at all time points, with largest mean difference of 285 kJ/kg0·75 per day at 10 weeks. If fed according to the NRC 2006 equation, dogs would have been in positive energy balance, possibly leading to obesity. These data support a revision to the NRC (2006) equation.
