Obesity Increasing in Dogs, Study Finds

A new study by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention reveals that more than 44 percent of dogs and 57 percent of cats are now estimated to be overweight or obese.

The National Pet Obesity Day Study was conducted in October 2008 by 95 veterinary clinics, which evaluated 669 dogs ages 1 to 16 and 202 cats ages 1 to 19.

From 2007 to 2008, the number of overweight dogs and cats increased by 1 percent and 4 percent, respectively, according to the study. The lead researcher and founder believes our pets are in danger of not living as long as previous generations and that obesity is leading to serious and costly diseases such as diabetes and arthritis.

Obesity rates in cats were highest at 17.8 percent while obesity rates in dogs were 9.6 percent. About 39.6 percent of all cats and 34.7 percent of dogs were classified as overweight.

Overall, the study estimates that there are 7.2 million obese and 26 million overweight dogs. The number in cats is higher, with 15.7 million estimated to be obese and 35 million overweight.

An overweight pet, according to the association, has ribs and a spine that are hard to feel or count underneath fat deposits. Waist is distended or often pear-shaped when viewed from above. The abdomen sags when seen from the side. There are typically fat deposits on the hips, base of tail and chest.

The study also found that older animals had a higher incidence of being overweight. For example, the study revealed that 52.1 percent of dogs and 55 percent of cats over age 7 were found to beoverweight or obese.

“This is a particularly concerning discovery for veterinarians,” Ward said. “Extra pounds in older pets amplify any pre-existing conditions and complicate treatment. We’re seeing more and more diabetes, respiratory, and arthritic conditions in older pets as a direct result of obesity. These are often chronic, incurable, and generally preventable diseases. Pet owners need to understand that a few extra pounds on a dog or cat are similar to a person being 30 to 50 pounds overweight.”

In addition, the study revealed that small-breed dogs, such as Dachshunds, Chihuahuas, and Yorkshire Terriers, had more trouble with their weight than larger breeds, such as Labrador Retrievers or Golden Retrievers. This was attributed to the lack of exercise these small dogs get.

Interestingly, most pet owners with heavy pets accurately reported their pet’s weight status when asked by veterinary health care provider. For instance, 71.5 percent of owners with overweight or obese cats identified their cats as overweight or obese, and 60 percent of dog owners agreed with their veterinarian’s assessment of their dog’s weight.

For a printable chart to track your dog’s weight loss, click here.

Follow Us on Twitter

Twitter Updates

follow me on Twitter

Twitter Updates

follow me on Twitter

Stylish St Patrick's Day Prints

St Patrick's Day

Doggie Mannequin

I purchased some dog mannequins to use for display at shows, etc. The smallest mannequin is the size of my chihuahua, Merlot. To my surprise, instead of barking at the strange-looking dog, she went crazy trying to figure out why her new doggie buddy wouldn't play with her. I finally had to remove the mannequin, because she was beginning to whine and cry!

Happy Valentine's Day

What do you think of my new haircut? 

This is a funny, spoof commercial for doggie ED medication. Definitely for the over-18 crowd.

Koala saved from Australia's wildfires doing well

"Sam" the koala, the most famous furry survivor of Australia's worst-ever wildfires, is healing well thanks to the efforts of caretakers at a rescue shelter — and she even has a new boyfriend, "Bob."

Sam, who captured hearts around the world after she was photographed drinking from a firefighter's water bottle, has also won the affection of "Bob," another koala whose paws were scorched in the weekend's inferno, caretaker Lynn Raymond said Thursday.

"Bob is her protector — as soon as she is moved, he's on the move, too. It really looks like he's making sure she's OK," Raymond said from the Mountain Ash Wildlife Shelter in Rawson, 100 miles (170 kilometers) east of Melbourne in Victoria state, where the deadly fires continue to burn. "They're good company for each other."

Neither koala is likely to be healthy enough for release for at least four months, and are being comforted by caretakers who salve their scorched paws every few hours.

Global interest in the fate of Sam has been intense since a photograph of firefighter David Tree offering her a bottle of water in a burned-out forest was splashed across the Internet, in newspapers and on television broadcasts. The telephone at the shelter has rung incessantly with callers eager for an update on the creature's condition.

Sam was found moving gingerly on scorched paws by a fire patrol, said David Tree, the firefighter who spotted her.

Tree and his crew were conducting backburning operations to help contain a clutch of six fires that the Country Fire Authority called the Delburn complex. The fires started on Jan. 29 and destroyed 30 houses, cars and other property before being contained, though not extinguished, on Feb. 7. No one was killed in the Delburn complex of fires, though more than 180 people have died in other blazes in the region.

Tree said he crouched down and held out a bottle of water for Sam to drink, which she eagerly accepted, holding Tree's hand as he poured water into her mouth.

"You all right, buddy?" Tree asks in a video of the encounter as he approaches the koala. Later, as Sam gulps from the bottle, he quips: "How much can a koala bear?"

Often mistakenly called koala bears because they resemble a child's teddy bear, the marsupial is actually a somewhat ornery creature with a loud growl and sharp claws.

Sam and Tree were reunited at the shelter on Wednesday, a meeting that left the 44-year-old firefighter fighting back tears.

"When I saw her, I was just overwhelmed," Tree said Thursday. "I got a bit choked up, got a bit of a gut rise."

Tree was relieved to see his little friend doing so well, and plans to give her a cage that currently houses his 11-year-old daughter's canary. "We'll worry about the canary later," he said.

Sam, who suffered second- and third-degree burns to her paws, has been sharing a cage with Bob, who took an immediate interest in her when she arrived, Raymond said.

Both Sam and Bob were given painkillers when they first arrived, but they're off the drugs now, Raymond said. The two are still receiving antibiotics. For now, though, the famously thirsty marsupial appears to be on the mend.

"I'm just looking at Sam now — she is fast asleep," Raymond said. "She's doing very, very well."

Stump, 10 year old Sussex Wins Best in Show

This old dog taught Westminster a new trick. At 10, a Sussex spaniel called Stump became the oldest best in show winner at America's top canine competition, coming out of retirement last week and taking the big prize Tuesday night.

"He hasn't slowed down a bit," expert handler Scott Sommer said. "I thought it would be fun."

A nearly full crowd at Madison Square Garden cheered loudly when judge Sari Tietjen pointed to the new champion at the Westminster Kennel Club. Perhaps the fans knew Stump's backstory - he left the show ring in 2004 and later nearly died from a mysterious medical condition. The vets at Texas A&M saved him.

"It was miraculous," Sommer said.

Then again, maybe folks just liked rooting for the old guy. In human years, he's almost 70!

Sommer said Sussex spaniels can live to be 15. Never before had a dog from this breed won the show. The previous oldest winner was an 8-year-old Papillon in 1999.

With floppy ears and a slow gait, the golden-red Stump beat out a sparkling final field. Sommer guided him past a giant schnauzer that was the nation's top show dog, a favored Brussels griffon, a Scottish deerhound named Tiger Woods, a standard poodle with 94 best in show wins, a Scottish terrier and a puli.

After he won, Stump showed off his one trick: He got up on his hinds, as if he was begging. He didn't have to, he was already No. 1.

Nearly 2,500 dogs were entered at Westminster. Last year's champion, a beagle named Uno, was perhaps the most popular winner ever.

But with a bounce in his step, Stump is sure to win over plenty of people while he reigns for a year and gets extra playtime with his green Grinch toy.

"He really is retired this time," Sommer said.

Stump won the sporting group at Westminster in 2004, then went into retirement. Soon after, he nearly wasted away and spent 19 days in a pet hospital.

"It was very traumatic," Sommer said.

Once he recovered, Stump mostly spent his days hanging out with Sommer, living a dog's life. That was more than fine with Sommer. He'd handled a great Bichon Frise called J.R. to the best in show at Westminster in 2001, and wasn't looking for Stump to try again.

Besides, Stump had two sons to take care of, named Root and Forest.

Then five days before this show, Sommer thought Stump might enjoy one last walk on the green carpet at the Garden. And what a walk it was - his 51st best in show victory overall.

Who will take Best In Show?

Among the contenders that have a good chance of standing in the Best In Show ring the evening of Feb. 10 are a few breeds that aren’t your everyday dog on the street. The No. 2 all-breed dog, a Giant Schnauzer named Ch. Galilee’s Pure of Spirit, has claimed 38 BIS wins and 75 Group Firsts.

Brussels Griffon Ch. Cilleine Masquerade, “Lincoln”, is ranked fourth among all breeds. He is the top-winning Brussels Griffon of all time. In a breed in which most top-winning breed Champions have rough coats, the fact that Lincoln is a smooth is both unexpected and fabulous, says Brussels Griffon breeder Sharon Sakson (Paris Brussels Griffons in Princeton, N.J.), who has bred more than a dozen Champions and is the author of “Brussels Griffons: A Complete Owners Guide” (Barron’s Educational Series, 2007).

“He was Group 2 at Westminster last year,” Sakson says. “We were all holding our breaths because it looked like he was going to win the Group. It would have been the first Westminster Group win for a Griff since 1985, when Bruce Owen’s Ch. Berryhill Gandalf won it. He deserves to win the Group and BIS. He is the best Griff this country has ever seen, a perfect specimen of our breed."

Other top-winning dogs of lesser-known breeds to keep an eye on (as of press time) are Sealyham Terrier Ch. Efbe’s Hidalgo At Goodspice, No. 5 all breeds and BIS winner at the 2008 World Dog Show; Affenpinscher Ch. Tamarin Tug, No. 6 all breeds; Harrier Ch. Downhome Family Tradition, No. 9 all breeds; and Scottish Deerhound Ch. Jaraluv Ouija, No. 10 all breeds.

Rounding out the top-winning dogs likely to make an appearance at Westminster (as of press time) are Standard Poodle Ch. Randenn Tristar Affirmation, No. 3 all breeds; Scottish Terrier Ch. Roundtown Mercedes of Maryscot, No. 7 all breeds; and Pembroke Welsh Corgi Ch. Coventry Vanity Fair, No. 8 all breeds.

Best In Show Judging
Who will make the decision should any of these dogs make it to the BIS ring? Sari Brewster Tietjen of Rhinebeck, N.Y., who has been “in dogs” since childhood, has bred, raised, and showed more than 14 different breeds. She has judged dogs for more than 40 years. As someone who grew up in the sport of showing dogs, and has attended more Westminster shows than she cares to count, Tietjen was thrilled and deeply honored when she was asked in March 2007 to judge BIS for the 2009 competition. How does one prepare for that kind of judging assignment?

“Pray a lot!” says Tietjen, who has judged breeds and Groups at Westminster nine times previously, including last year’s Toy Group. “Seriously, at that level, you know you are going to have some beautiful dogs in the ring. You have to keep your wits about you, evaluate each dog against its breed standard, and then how it measures up against the other dogs in the ring. I expect it will be a very close, very difficult, and very challenging assignment, but one that I will treasure for the rest of my life.”

Great dog site: The Dog Channel

Check our our product review on Super Cool Pets

I recently discovered this great pet product review site - Super Cool Pets. Created by Ricki Widlak based in Florida. Ricki's love of pets (she has to Golden Retrievers and three cockatiels) inspired her to create a site where they review pet products that keep pets safe, happy and healthy - wether at home, outdoors or on the road.

Ricki reviews a wide array of products, including Accessories, Electronics, Gadgets, Gifts, Grooming, Pet Services and it's not only for dogs, but also Birds, Cats and Fish are covered. You'll definitely find a plethora of useful insights here and will want to bookmark this blog!

Congratulations to January's Swanky Pet Winner!

New this year, every month we hold a drawing for customers that have submitted a photo of their pet(s) in their new 'Swanky' wear! This month's winner is Courtney from Gainesville FL who is the proud mom of Tucker - an adorable 6 month old Chihuahua.

Here's how Courtney describes Tucker: He is "quite the character and loves to bring his toys up the stairs, roll them down and run back to the top to start all over again. Mr. Lovable for sure. Loves to give kisses to everyone, including people he has just met. He is happy playing with toys and Mommy, but also loves to play with all of the other dogs, including his best friend, Capone, a 60-lb American Pointer. Quite the pair for sure. Tucker takes all of Capone's toys and Capone takes all of Tucker's toys. And when they've had enough fun, you can always find them both on the outside patio, enjoying the Florida sunshine!"

Would you like to win a FREE collar of your choice? Submit photos of your furry kids in their new 'Swanky' wear and check back here at the beginning of each month!