Obesity is now the most common preventable health problem in companion animals, causing chronic pain, reduced mobility, and shortened lifespan in millions of dogs and cats.
Pet obesity has reached epidemic proportions and represents a significant, largely preventable welfare crisis. Obese animals experience chronic pain from arthritis, breathe with greater difficulty, and have substantially reduced quality of life and lifespan. The root causes include overfeeding, inappropriate treats, insufficient exercise, and owner misperception of healthy body weight. Veterinary practices often fail to address obesity directly due to owner sensitivity. Yet the welfare benefits of weight management are profound and well-documented — obese arthritic dogs show dramatic improvement in comfort and mobility with even modest weight loss.