Cats and dogs are getting heavier, according to a release from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) that compares 2015 data to 2014 data.
Source: DVM 360, March 17, 2016 cited in April 15 newsletter.
One problem is that “overweight” remains largely undefined industry-wide. APOP defines clinical pet obesity as 30 percent above ideal weight. “Our profession hasn’t agreed on what separates ‘obese’ from ‘overweight,’” says APOP board member Steve Budsberg, DVM, MS, DACVS, a veterinary surgeon at the University of Georgia, in the APOP release. “These words have significant clinical meaning and affect treatment recommendations.”