The growing problem of obesity in pets | Dr. Justine Lee, DACVECC, DABT, Board-Certified Veterinary Specialist

Posted by justinelee in Blog, Pet Health

A recent article in the Washington Post summarized recent data from Banfield Pet Hospital, we now know which states have the most obese pets. And I’m embarrassed to say it’s my home state, MINNESOTA for the win!

People often think that the states with the highest prevalence of obese people have the highest percentages of obese pets, but not so!

A new report from Banfield found that over 2.5 million dogs and 500,000 cats in the United States are obese. While the top states for obese humans are Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, the top states for dog obesity are Minnesota, Nebraska and Michigan and for cat obesity are Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa. (Hey, we have long winters and we all gain more weight in the winter when it’s harder to exercise outside!).

Who tops the list? Minnesota, with 41% of dogs and 46% of cats being assessed by veterinarians declared overweight or obese. In second place? Nebraska with 39% of dogs and 43% of cats being overweight or obese.

You can check out my recent interview on WCCO-TV on July 9, 2017 here.

This information is based of data from almost 1000 veterinary hospitals run by Banfield. Overall, 1 in 3 of pets seen at Banfield were overweight or obese, based on the veterinary “Body Condition Scoring” system that we use. You can see an example of this BCS scoring here:

Unfortunately, there’s a growing trend of obesity in our American pets… and this is getting worse. In the past 10 years, Banfield has reported a 158% increase in overweight dogs and a 169% increase in overweight cats.

More importantly, know that based on data from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), 54% of dogs and 59% of cats were overweight or obese in 2016.

Why do we care? We care because it costs you more to treat your overweight pet. Obesity results in more strain on the musculoskeletal system, the neurologic system, the heart and lungs, and predisposes to diabetes mellitus too. And the last thing you want is a more expensive veterinary bill, right? Plus, it causes more harm to your dog and cat and actually shortens their life span! According to Banfield, owners of its overweight dog patients end up paying 17% more on health-care costs and 25% more on medications. Cat owners? They end up spending 36% more on diagnostic tests.

We all want our pets to be healthier and to live longer. How can you fix it? Diet and exercise. When in doubt, my one rule for dog owners: 30 minutes of exercise a day (2, 15 minute walks, folks!)

Here are the states with the highest percentage of overweight dogs, according to Banfield’s State of Pet Health Report:

Minnesota
Nebraska
Michigan
Idaho
Nevada
New Mexico
Washington
Utah
Indiana
Oregon

And here are the top 10 for cats:
Minnesota
Nebraska
Iowa
Idaho
Delaware
Michigan
Nevada
Kansas
Utah
New Mexico

Please keep your pets healthier by cutting 25% of their food and snacks out RIGHT NOW and walking them more!