Overweight and obese dogs and cats face serious welfare consequences including joint pain, reduced mobility, shortened lifespans, and reduced quality of life, yet owner recognition of the problem remains low.
Pet obesity is a significant and growing welfare issue that receives insufficient attention relative to its scale. The chronic pain associated with arthritis in overweight dogs, and the metabolic diseases of obese cats, cause sustained suffering that is often under-recognised because animals cannot report pain verbally. Owner love is frequently expressed through food, making the emotional drivers of overfeeding difficult to address. Veterinarians face a communication challenge in discussing obesity without alienating clients, but the welfare cost of avoiding the conversation is substantial. Clear, non-judgmental body condition scoring at every veterinary visit, combined with concrete dietary advice, can make a genuine difference.