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

Abstract

Approximately a third of all Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) households include a dog, with 28% of these dogs being overweight or obese, conditions that are associated with many serious health issues. Therefore, healthy weight interventions that focus on the owner’s role are of great importance to companion animal welfare in NZ. Accordingly, the present study explores the feeding practices associated with NZ dogs and identifies potential owner-related risk factors contributing to these animals being overweight or obese. The current study used data collected from a survey conducted online in 2019 between January and March of NZ residents over 18. Along with demographic questions, the respondents were asked questions regarding their dog’s body condition and diet questions related to the body. Nearly a quarter (26%, n = 609) of the survey participants (n = 2358) owned at least one dog. The current study reported that increasing age range, household income and the number of children increased the likelihood of having a dog while increasing qualification level and living in a town/city decreased the likelihood. The majority of the respondents fed their dog(s) treats (59%) and 85% fed them specialised food bought from a pet shop, veterinary clinic and/or different online sources. Just over a third of the participant (39%) reported that they fed their dog(s) biscuits from the supermarket, 36% fed their dog(s) raw meat, and 34% of respondents fee their dog(s) table scraps/human food. These results suggest that many dog owners feed their dog(s) various food types, making it a challenging task to determine the exact amount required from each type in order not to exceed caloric intake. Disagreement regarding the correct body condition were reported among twenty per cent of the respondents. This finding indicates a knowledge gap among the NZ dog-owning population that may negatively affect their dogs’ welfare and wellbeing. Future research into pro-equity approaches to address these issues is needed so that dogs in NZ can live not only a good life but also their best life.

Fatores comportamentais de tutores influenciam a obesidade canina

“…De acordo com as alternativas "eventualmente" corresponde a uma frequência menor que três vezes na semana, ou seja, uma baixa frequência. Tutores que frequentemente passeiam com seus cães ofertam petiscos em uma frequência baixa, gerando a hipótese de que tutores que possuem a preocupação com o nível de atividade de seus cães também limitam o consumo de petiscos [11][12] .…”

Fatores de risco associados à obesidade e sobrepeso em cães

“…Para Morelli et al (2020), os petiscos tornaram-se uma parte relevante da dieta de cães por reforçar a relação tutor animal. Contudo, a oferta indevida de petiscos a médio e longo prazo acarreta impactos no peso do animal de companhia (Forrest et al, 2022). Em uma pesquisa realizada por Morelli et al (2020), dos 2217 tutores de cães entrevistados, 83% afirmaram que a compra de petiscos para seus animais era frequente e, na maioria das vezes (42%), era ofertado como forma de recompensa.…”

“…Importante ressaltar a necessidade de uma maior educação acerca da etiologia e do tratamento da obesidade e do sobrepeso em cães, além disso a ausência de julgamento por parte do médico-veterinário é de suma importância para o sucesso na adesão ao protocolo de redução de peso (Pöppl et al 2018;Pearl et al, 2020;Forrest et al, 2022). Para Pearl et al (2020), os tutores de cães com sobrepeso ou obesos tendem a experimentar um estigma social, sendo vistos negativamente e culpados pelo peso de seu cão.…”

Pathomorphological changes in the liver and internal organs in obese cats

“…У собак ожиріння провокує діабет, гіпотиреоїдизм, гіперадренокортицизм і інсуліному. Також впливає занадто сильне олюднення (антропоморфізм), та використання їжі як засобу налагодження контакту з твариною (Diez & Nguyen 2006;Zoran, 2010;Forrest et al, 2022;Morelli et al, 2022;Suarez et al, 2022).…”