Those humans who are overweight because of eating more calories than their bodies need (there are a lot of other reasons that can lead to humans being overweight, in case you did not know) who have dogs, are more likely to have overweight dogs. In fact, the study revealed that the prevalence of heavy or obese dogs occurs more than twice as much among overweight or obese owners (35 percent) than among owners who are slim or of a normal weight (14 percent). The reason? According to the study results, it is largely because overweight owners give their pets too many treats.
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Here are some other highlights from the study findings:
-Heavy or obese dogs occurs more than twice as much among overweight or obese owners than among owners who are slim or of a normal weight.
-Average-weight owners tend to use treats for training purposes while overweight owners prefer to provide treats (and human food scraps) in convivial situations.
-Of the 268 dogs studied, 20 percent were overweight.
-Previous research has found that in developed countries, 34 to 59 percent of dogs are overweight or obese, which can reduce their life expectancy and mobility or cause diabetes and cardiac disease just like in humans.
-On average, overweight dogs live 1.3 years less than dogs on restrictive diets.
-Dogs that are neutered need less treats and more exercise…the study showed that neutering male dogs affects their ability to regulate their appetite and triples their risk of being heavy or obese.
Journal Reference: Bjørnvad, C. R., et al. Neutering increases the risk of obesity in male dogs but not in bitches — A cross-sectional study of dog- and owner-related risk factors for obesity in Danish companion dogs, Preventive Veterinary Medicine,
Volume 170, 1 October 2019, 104730. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2019.104730
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