Canine obesity is one of the most prevalent welfare problems in companion animals, causing chronic pain and reducing quality of life. Prevention and treatment require owner education and veterinary support.
Dog obesity welfare is a crisis of kindness - owners who overfeed pets often do so from love, interpreting food provision as care. However, obesity causes chronic pain from joint loading, reduces breathing efficiency, and limits the exercise capacity that dogs need for behavioral welfare. The welfare harm is cumulative and progressive - obese dogs are more likely to have arthritis, which makes exercise painful, which leads to further weight gain. Breaking this cycle requires dietary management and veterinary guidance. Owners who understand that maintaining lean body condition is one of the most loving things they can do for their dog's welfare are better equipped to resist the social pressure to overfeed.