(This article has been corrected to reflect the number of dogs that are obese.)
By Sally Writes
Making sure that your canine friends are in tip top shape is a priority for all dog owners, we want our pups to be healthy, happy and full of life for as long as possible. So it’s important to be aware of what we need to do in order to support and maintain their overall health, and making sure that your dog has a quality diet and is a healthy weight is instrumental to long term health. This article will look at how your dog’s weight could impact their health and longevity.
Just as being overweight is a risk factor for cancer in humans, the same applies to dogs too. When a dog is overweight, sometimes they are thought of as being cute for being on the chubby side, but the fact is, carrying that extra weight around is actually damaging to health, and it could lead to diseases such as diabetes, cancer and problems with their hips and joints in later life.
How to tell if your dog is obese
Sometimes it can be quite difficult to tell if your dog is obese or not, as it can be hard to tell with some breeds, but even being slightly overweight can lead to health problems. But as almost 56% of dogs in the U.S. are obese then there’s a strong possibility that your pet could be. With this in mind, it is best to take your dog to the vets for an assessment. However to give you an idea beforehand, you could use something called the body condition score chart this can give you a general idea based around the three categories of underweight, just right and overweight, however it is just a rough guide and not breed specific.
Using the body condition score chart
As a rule, if you can see your dog’s ribs or any other bones from a distance such as a pelvic bone then your dog is underweight. If they are just right, you should be able to feel the ribs but there should be some fat covering them, and you should be able to see the outline of their waist from above. If they are overweight there will be too much fat covering the ribs to feel them, and you won’t be able to see the contours of their waist from above. If you have a long haired or fluffy dog it may be better to do the test after they have had a bath so you can see their shape.
Why is obesity linked to dog cancer?
A study published by the American Veterinary Medical Association found that dogs who are a healthy weight and are burning fat for fuel, are much less likely to develop cancer than dogs who are holding on to excess fat. The study found that a substance called adiponectin which is protective against cancer is secreted from fat cells, but not when there is too much fat in the body. However, more adiponectin is secreted when fat is being used to fuel the body, as is the case for dogs with lean bodies. So the leaner your dog, the more adiponectin is secreted from fat cells, which helps protect against cancer.
Research is still undergoing but the link is clear
Research in this area is extensive and ongoing in order to fully understand the link between obesity and cancer, but so far we know that there is definitely a link, and we have mounting evidence, as in the case of the role of adiponectin, which confirms it. So the key take away for dog owners is to stay on top of your dog’s weight, make sure that it is healthy, and that your dog gets plenty of exercise to keep their body lean and trim.
