Why Do Our Pets Seem to Be Growing Larger with Us?

Today is World Pet Obesity Awareness Day. So what can we make of the observation that our pets seem to be growing larger with us? We have the privilege of knowing two persons who have put much thought into this subject. So today, we will borrow on their insights.

Chihuahua in the Coalmine

Ernie Ward is the veterinarian who founded the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. He is in his second decade of raising concern for health and quality of life of our pets. He believes the increased prevalence of pet obesity comes from more than just feeding and exercise patterns:

“I continue to believe there’s definitely potential shared risk between us and our animal companions. ‘Chihuahua in a Coalmine,’ I used to say.

“The larger issue to me is the ongoing need to investigate and question shared environmental risks along with desired domestication genetic traits such as food drive (linked to trainability). Obesity in animals, as in humans, is so much more than too much food, and too little exercise.”

Support and Meaningful Care

Alexander German is a professor of small animal medicine at the University of Liverpool. He knows as much about obesity in our animal companions as anyone in the world. He also appreciates how much we have to learn:

“As with humans, we know very little about the causes of obesity in our pets and, as in humans, there will be many factors involved. There are many parallels between obesity in pets and humans, not least in terms of causes and consequences, but also the problems in providing effective obesity care and the impact of weight bias.

“Owner perceptions of obesity can vary markedly, not least in terms of their ability to control their dog’s food intake and address obesity when present (Lloyd et al 2023). Such owners describe facing an ongoing struggle in managing their pet’s weight, and holding feelings of futility when their attempts fail. Not uncommonly, the response of others is stigma and blame rather than support.

“On this important day in the veterinary calendar, I hope for improved awareness of the impact weight stigma has on owners caring for pets with obesity. Veterinary professionals, in particular, need to make more effort to have supportive conversations with owners about pet obesity, avoiding blame whilst committing to providing meaningful obesity care.”

Curiosity and Care

More than a decade has passed since David Allison and colleagues told us obesity seems to be rising across many species. It is clear that more than feeding and physical activity is involved in these parallel obesity trends.

Less clear is our curiosity to seek a deeper understanding of its causes and our commitment to providing better care for the problems obesity brings. We hope for more.

Click here for more on World Pet Obesity Day, here for more on weight bias in veterinary medicine, and here for more on the need for veterinarians to address obesity in our companion animals.

Watson, photograph by Steven Kyle / ConscienHealth

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October 11, 2023