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The Nation's Pets Are Living Large...Too Large

ST. LOUIS (January 2005)—Six out of 10 pets in the United States were overweight, according to a recent Purina study, yet almost half of their owners thought their overweight pets were in ideal shape. According to the Purina Veterinary Diets® Overweight Management Study1 of 1,462 pets, 60 percent of the dogs and cats evaluated scored 6 or higher on the nine-point Purina Body Condition System™ (BCS) scale used for body condition scoring. With 4 or 5 being ideal for dogs and 5 ideal for cats, a BCS score of 6 or higher indicates dogs or cats are moderately to severely overweight—a condition that may harm their health or contribute to a shortened life span.

At the same time, 45 percent of owners whose pet's score was 6 or higher on the BCS scale rated their pets as having an "ideal" body condition. The study included dogs and cats randomly selected by veterinarians in five markets: Miami; Greensboro, N.C.; Baton Rouge, La.; Houston and Denver. The Purina study also included a survey component, where owners of the pets were asked a series of questions about their perceptions and behaviors.

"These results indicate that far too many pets today are overweight," says Grace Long, DVM, veterinary marketing director at Purina. "Extra pounds make a difference. A score of 6 to 6.5 on the BCS scale is equivalent to being 20 to 25 percent over ideal body weight. In human terms, that's comparable to a man weighing 216 to 225 pounds when he should weigh 180 pounds."

Bad News Motivates Owners

The good news is that bad news can be motivating. The survey, conducted with owners whose pets were part of the study, indicated that the lack of knowledge about their pets' condition may be behind their failure to act. In the survey, owners who had been told their pets were overweight were asked if they were willing to take action-and three out of four indicated they would. "Taking action" included the alternatives of (1) increasing exercise, (2) switching to a veterinary weight loss diet and (3) feeding less food overall. Examinations also revealed that 12 percent of the overweight dogs and cats in the study suffer from weight-related health conditions such as osteoarthritis. "With overweight animals being so common, these results raise sincere concerns. Obesity can lead to health issues and may contribute to a shortened life span in pets," added Long. "That's why it's so important for veterinarians to make owners aware, not only of their pet's body condition, but of the consequences of lifelong obesity."

Lean, Healthy Lifestyle Pays Off

"A lifetime of leanness is best for pets," says Dr. Long. This was demonstrated by the 14-year Purina Life Span Study, which found that dogs fed to ideal body condition throughout their lives had a median life span 15 percent greater than dogs who were not—almost two years for the Labrador retrievers in the study. In addition, the lean-fed dogs were healthier, and the study confirmed a link between body fat and certain health conditions. Analysis indicated that the impact of compromised glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity on health occurred even when the dogs were moderately overweight, not just when they were grossly obese.

¹ Purina Veterinary Diets® Overweight Management Study 2004, Nestlé Purina PetCare; Study involved questionnaire and examination of a total of 1,462 dogs and cats from the from Miami, Florida; Greensboro, North Carolina; Houston, Texas; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Denver, Colorado areas

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