The BARK team has been sweating away (it was a 100 degrees in Portland, OR!) on the latest research studies for the Overweight/Obesity Evidence Campaign. We’ve been looking into factors that are associated with dogs and cats being overweight or obese. In dogs, these factors include age, neutering, being female, having stifle disease and certain breeds – Labrador retriever, chihuahua, golden retriever, dachshund, beagle, pug, both cocker spaniels and other spaniels, Yorkshire terrier, pomeranian, miniature pinshcer, jack russell terrier or pit bull.
Dogs on the Banfield Optimum Wellness Plans, boxers, Australian shepherds and dogs with gastroenteritis, diabetes mellitus, full anal sacs and cardiac disease were less likely to be diagnosed as overweight or obese.
Many of the risk factors identified in the BARK studies are consistent with findings of studies published in peer-reviewed journals. Other risk factors identified in these studies include, endocrine dysfunction (hypothyroidism and hyperadrenocorticism), infection-related obesity, and pancreatitis.
We are currently in the process of analyzing risk factors for feline obesity, but some risk factors that have been published in peer-reviewed journals include breed (Domestic shorthair, Domestic longhair, Domestic medium hair, Mixed and Manx), neutering, age, being male and certain diseases (urinary tract disease, diabetes mellitus, neoplasia, oral disease or dermatopathy).
Factors that we weren’t able to analyze in the BARK studies, due to limitations of our database, include demographic factors and aspects of the human-animal bond. The peer-reviewed literature that has examined these factors is quite interesting – basically, people often use food or treats as a substitute for affection and this contributes to the development of obesity.
According to Dr. Denise Elliott, a board-certified specialist in nutrition, “In addition to the daily diet, it is quite often all the little extras, especially those ones that we give to our Pets to appease our own guilt (home late from work, too busy to play ball, etc.), that really provide the excess calories in our Pets’ diet.”
We asked the following questions last month and would like to ask you again:
In the meantime, look for more updates coming soon! The quarterly white paper on this topic will be available to subscribers next month!
If you’d like to subscribe to the Banfield Applied Research and Knowledge (BARK) quarterly white paper, email us at bark@banfield.net and include SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
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