Humans are not the only ones who are overweight – our pets are, too! A little over 34% of adult dogs handled by private veterinarians in the United States are overweight or obese. Studies show that this varies by gender, although female and male dogs that are spayed and neutered are more obese on average than their intact counterparts.
Different breeds of dogs have different rates of obesity. This leads us to some of our weird obesity facts: Cocker Spaniels and Beagles are the most likely to be overweight or obese, while Shetland Sheepdogs, Rottweilers and Golden Retrievers all have a tendency to be overweight or obese.
Of the different breeds of dogs studied, obesity facts tell us that German Shepherds are the least likely to be overweight or obese. Shih Tzus and Poodles also tend to keep a trim figure. Dogs who eat homemade foods are more likely to be obese than dogs that eat canned food. This is perhaps one of the surprising obesity facts: we might have assumed that canned food was worse than homemade food for dogs. At least when it comes to obesity, canned food is better for your dog’s health!
