Canine obesity is one of the most prevalent and preventable welfare problems in companion animals, with an estimated 50-55% of dogs in the US classified as overweight or obese, causing pain, reduced mobility, and shortened lives.
Canine obesity causes chronic welfare impacts that are often invisible to owners because they develop gradually. An obese dog that struggles to walk, cannot groom itself, or pants with minor exertion is experiencing reduced quality of life that owners may attribute to aging rather than preventable excess weight. Joint pain from carrying excess weight is constant and worsens existing conditions like hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis. The normalization of overweight dogs in the population has made it difficult for owners to recognize the problem — seeing overweight dogs everywhere, they assume their own overweight dog is normal.