Factors Affecting Canine Obesity Seem to Be Independent of the Economic Status of the Country—A Survey on Hungarian Companion Dogs

Abstract

For a companion dog, the most important environmental factor is the owner, who is responsible for providing everything that is necessary for the health and welfare of the dog. Still, one of the most often compromised measures of an average companion dog is its body condition, with overweight and obese animals representing a growing welfare problem around the world. Using an extensive online survey that was distributed among Hungarian dog owners, we wanted to know whether those obesogenic factors that were identified mostly in high-GDP countries’ pet dog populations would hold their relevance in a much lower average income country as well. We found several associations between the body condition of canine companions and various demographics, environmental and behavioral factors. Older dogs reportedly had an accelerating propensity for being overweight. Joint activity and performing dog sports both reduced the likelihood of being an overweight dog. Main food types also had significant associations with the body condition of dogs—meanwhile, the feeding of commercial dog food (kibble) and/or leftovers of human meals coincided with being overweight, dogs that were fed (fully, or at least partly) with raw food were less likely overweight. In the case of owner-reported behavioral problems, the food-related issues (stealing food, overeating, etc.) were clustered to a dimension together with problem behaviors such as excessive barking and overt aggression. Beyond showing a good agreement with earlier surveys on associated factors with canine obesity, our study revealed some interesting new details that could be used in the prevention of overweight problems in dogs.

Functionality and Palatability of Yogurt Produced Using Beetroot Pomace Flour Granulated with Lactic Acid Bacteria

“…Furthermore, the owners are largely responsible for the obesity of their companion animals. Moreover, humans and canines share most of the causative factors and the mental/physical epidemiology associated with overweight problems [47]. Therefore, the concept of sharing a fiber-enriched meal between dogs and owners is imposed.…”

Potential Owner-Related Risk Factors That May Contribute to Obesity in Companion Dogs in Aotearoa New Zealand

“…Dog-specific factors such as breed, age and gender are all major predisposing factors for obesity. However, this condition has mostly been attributed to human-specific factors such as feeding protocols, exercise, and owner attitudes/awareness [11,[27][28][29][30]. Our study aimed to interrogate the applicable data from national surveys performed recently and funded by NZCAT [23] to identify potential human-specific risk factors that contribute to companion dogs in NZ becoming overweight or obese.…”

Recomendaciones nutricionales de alimentos balanceados de perros y gatos registrados en Costa Ric

“…Las recomendaciones nutricionales de los alimentos balanceados secos presentes en el mercado nacional y que se encontraron registrados durante los meses de evaluación, presentan diferencias entre lo recomendado y lo que deben consumir de forma diaria, diferencia que se asocia de manera integral a la forma de estimar los requerimientos energéticos, el estado fisiológico de los animales, la condición corporal, el medio ambiente en el que se moviliza, la socialización con otros animales y el tipo de materia prima utilizada (información no evaluada en este trabajo) (Torda-Orsolya et al, 2020).…”

“…Las recomendaciones alimenticias en productos alimenticos comerciales presentan su cálculo en un animal promedio, modelo de predicción que no considera la actividad física del animal, si se encuentra esterilizado (Oberbauer et al, 2019), si es una hembra o un macho (Bjørnvad et al, 2019), si convive con otros animales, el espacio físico en el cual se mantiene (Torda-Orsolya et al, 2020), si reciben aperitivos o meriendas (Pearl et al, 2020) y las características de los dueños (van Herwijnen et al, 2020).…”