Canine obesity affects an estimated 40-50% of UK dogs and is directly linked to reduced lifespan, chronic pain, and impaired quality of life - yet is almost always preventable.
Canine obesity is a welfare crisis that is normalised by its prevalence. Owners who consider their overweight dog 'healthy' or 'happy' are often not connecting visible weight with invisible suffering: the chronic joint pain and reduced mobility of obesity, the respiratory effort in hot weather, the shortened lifespan. Body condition scoring - rather than relying on weight alone - provides a more practical assessment tool that vets can teach owners. Weight loss in obese dogs produces welfare improvements that owners often describe as transformative: more playful, more comfortable, more mobile. Prevention through appropriate feeding and regular weighing is easier than treatment.