Rising Cases of Obese Pets Forced Owners to Put their Animals on a Diet

Blue, an eight-year-old chocolate labrador, is barrel-shaped and walks slowly and lumberingly. His tummy hangs low, brushing the ground, with fat rolls bulging from his collar. Mournful eyes frame a jowly face.

Blue is on a diet, and he despises every moment of it. There will be no more succulent rabbit ears or plump chicken feet. He stole some cake from the kitchen floor earlier in the week, but his owner, Mary, retrieved it before he could eat it.

Obese Dog

As Blue thumps on the scales at the Pet Health and Therapy Centre in Welling, south-east London, Mary laments, "I dread this bit." "It's similar to Weight Watchers," says Blue, who should weigh no more than 36 kg. The scales squeak 47.1 kg. "He's gone up again," laments Mary, who has asked to remain anonymous due to her embarrassment. "My kid and daughter are both quite thin," she continues pleadingly. "People believe I deprive my kids while overfeeding my animals."

According to Mary, Blue is on a calorie-controlled diet and is routinely walked, a 39-year-old dog walker from Mottingham, south-east London. She pulls up her phone to show me photographs of Blue looming over her clients' dogs and says, "He goes on walks all the time." Members of the public occasionally approach Mary at work and tell her that she has to inform Blue's owner that he needs to lose weight. She says, "I am the owner."

Going to Hydrotherapy

Blue is reluctantly escorted into a hydrotherapy pool for his weekly treatment. According to Miranda Cosstick, a 23-year-old veterinary physiotherapist, the water relieves strain on his joints and reduces stress on his hips. Blue could barely manage 10 seconds on the underwater treadmill when he first started training in November 2021. Even though he has recovered the weight he lost, he is now up to 45 seconds. The treadmill whirrs and whirrs and whirrs and whir. From the warm lapping sea, Blue looks glumly out. When Cosstick raises a dog treat in front of him, he lunges forward, attempting to pry it from her grip. "You have to taunt him with it to get him to move," Cosstick explains.

Rising Cases

But, despite what Blue's pleading looks would imply, this isn't animal mistreatment. Blue is already arthritic and finds walking difficult. He will most likely die early from obesity-related issues if he does not reduce weight. And he's not the only one. Full-figured pets are becoming more common in UK households. Prof Alex German of the University of Liverpool said They've found an increased frequency of obesity in both dogs and cats for a long time. According to the PDSA animal charity, 78 percent of veterinary practitioners have witnessed a rise in pet obesity in recent years, and obesity is one of the top five welfare issues for pet owners in the United Kingdom.

Statistics

Many pet owners are unaware of the health risks associated with their overweight dogs. Only 69% of people polled by the PDSA believed that overweight pets were more likely to develop major illnesses. German adds that they're more prone to have mobility issues, arthritis, diabetes, respiratory issues, and urinary system difficulties. Overweight dogs are likely to die two and a half years sooner than their non-obese counterparts.

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