Canine obesity affects a large and growing proportion of dogs globally, causing welfare impacts through reduced mobility, increased disease risk, and shortened healthy lifespan.
Canine obesity reduces quality and length of life in ways that are both well-documented and preventable. An obese dog carries excess weight that stresses joints, impairs breathing during exertion, reduces heat tolerance, and increases the risk of multiple chronic diseases — all welfare harms that accumulate over the months and years of excess weight carriage. The 2.5-year lifespan difference between ideal and overweight dogs in the Purina study is not a small effect: it represents years of healthy life removed from animals who cannot choose their diet or exercise regime. Owners who overfeed from affection are inadvertently reducing their dog welfare through kindness misapplied. Veterinary communication about obesity as a welfare issue — not cosmetic preference — and practical guidance on caloric management are the welfare interventions needed at the individual animal level.