Obesity and Dogs: An Interview with Dr. Sylvalyn Simpson DVM | Pupford

Obesity in dogs has become a massive problem in the past couple of decades. Obesity rates are up (amongst other health problems) and in today’s episode, we have Sylvalyn Simpson, DVM on to help us understand how we can combat potential obesity in our dogs!

INTRODUCTION OF DR. SIMPSON

Dr. Sylvalyn Simpson is a veterinarian, aka Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, and strives to provide the highest quality of medicine and care to her patients and their humans. She believes in a fear-free approach and in practicing evidence based medicine.

Dr. Simpson received her undergraduate degree in Veterinary Sciences from the University of Arizona and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

She also puts out daily vet tips on her Instagram @thehonestvet.

AUDIO VERSION

Want to hear more podcasts like this? Please click here.

VIDEO VERSION

Want to see more videos like this? Please click here.

OVERVIEW OF OBESITY AND DOGS

FIRST OFF, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE FACTS AND STATISTICS AROUND DOG OBESITY. WHAT DOES THE LANDSCAPE OF DOG OBESITY LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW IN THE UNITED STATES? (starts at about 3:35) 

• About 54% of all dogs in US are overweight or obese
• About 25%+ are obese
• Excessive weight is #1 preventable disease in dogs
• Over 100 million dogs are considered overweight or obese
• Pet obesity has increased for 7 consecutive years

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE? (starts at about 5:55) 

• Overweight is 10% over your dog’s ideal weight
• Obesity is 20% over your dog’s ideal weight

NOW THAT WE KNOW THE STAGGERING STATISTICS… WHY DOES IT MATTER? WHAT CAN HAPPEN TO MY DOG IF I ALLOW HIM OR HER TO BECOME OBESE? (starts at about 7:20) 

• Clinically proven that obese dogs have a 15% shorter life span
• Obesity causes inflammation in our dog’s bodies
• Extra weight causes extra stress on your dog’s joints… they slow down earlier (which is cyclical in causing more weight gain)
• Organ dysfunction can occur with excessive body weight
• Kidney problems, liver problems, hypertension, etc.
• Obesity can cause more cancers
• More likely to face challenges with heat exhaustion
• Higher likelihood of developing bladder stones
• Diabetes can occur with weight gain
• IT AFFECTS LIFE SPAN and decreases quality of life
• It can be expensive… keeping your dog lean can help you keep your vet bills down (even heartworm, tick medicine, etc.)

NATURALLY THE NEXT QUESTION HAS TO BE… HOW CAN I KNOW IF MY DOG IS OBESE? WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OR METRICS? (starts at about 16:05) 

• We need to track our dog’s weight at LEAST once a month, but preferably once a week
• Assess your dog’s body condition score. The ideal score is a 4-5.
• Feel rib cage - you want to be able to feel dogs ribs and distinguish between each rib, without them jutting out at you
• Looking at your dog straight down, you want to see waist from behind the ribs
• Look at dog perpendicular to you- and check where the rib cage ends, you want to see the stomach tuck up into the abdomen

SO, SOME PEOPLE LISTENING MIGHT BE A LITTLE SCARED, ESPECIALLY IF THEIR DOG IS ON THE OVERWEIGHT SIDE OF THINGS… SO IF THEIR DOG IS OVERWEIGHT, WHAT CAN THEY DO? (starts at about 23:20) 

• The first thing is to figure out exactly how much food your dog should be eating and follow that portion control exactly
• Increase exercise activity
• Managing your dog’s treats… they shouldn’t ever take up more than 10-15% of your dog’s daily caloric intake!

FINAL QUESTION TO WRAP THINGS UP, WHAT IS ONE MORE THING THAT PUP PARENTS CAN DO ON A DAILY BASIS TO ENSURE THEIR DOG DOES NOT BECOME OBESE? (starts at about 34:00) 

• Find one thing you do with your dog every day.. And make sure you schedule that time in so that it ALWAYS happens

RECAP

Keeping our dogs healthy is important because… well, we all want to be with our dogs for as long as possible. (I will expand this in the actual episode). Understanding how to diagnose obesity in dogs, knowing the side effects, and addressing those concerns, will be able to help your dog live a longer and healthier life.