Jog with your dog: Dog owner exercise routines predict dog exercise routines and perception of ideal body weight

Developing and evaluating a health pack to support dog owners to manage the weight of their companion animals

Introduction

Obesity is a serious and prevalent problem in dogs. The causes are multifactorial, but owners play a key role and so this paper reports the development and evaluation of a health pack designed to help owners to manage the weight of their dogs.

Method

The pack was informed by previous research, behavior change theory (i.e., the COM-B model), and interviews with 12 veterinary professionals to identify challenges and potential solutions. Six workshops with a total of 28 dog owners provided feedback on the initial ideas. The pack included information on the importance of weight management, how to weigh and assess body condition score (BCS), a journal to track progress, an infographic illustrating the calorific value of treats, cards to help owners manage difficult situations, and a collar tag for the dog. The acceptability of the materials and potential outcomes were evaluated in a pre-registered pilot trial with a sample of 78 dog owners who were posted a health pack, 49 of whom completed a follow-up questionnaire.

Results

The findings suggested that owners were willing to weigh their dog, found the pack acceptable, and there was preliminary evidence that the weight and BCS of dogs was lower at follow-up than at baseline.

Discussion

The findings illustrate the potential of a health pack for supporting dog owners and provide the basis for a larger RCT to formally evaluate effectiveness.

A pilot study of a joint outdoor exercise program for dog owners and dogs

Increasing levels of physical inactivity is a global burden for mankind and is also an emerging problem in companion dogs. In both humans and dogs, insufficient physical activity is associated with increased risk for noncommunicable diseases and impaired quality of life (QoL). The aim of the current pilot study was to evaluate effects of a joint outdoor exercise program for dog owners (n = 22) and dogs (n = 22) with focus on QoL and body measurements. Results indicate that an eight-week exercise intervention alone, with a target distance of at least 2 km twice a week, may be sufficient to significantly increase self-reported QoL and acceptance of bodily appearance in dog owners despite no reductions in body measurements. In dogs, a significantly reduced body condition score (BCS) was registered, despite no considerable changes in feeding. The increased owner motivation for continued joint exercise suggests potential for lifestyle changes, which could be investigated in future studies including control groups and long-term follow-ups. The importance of the human-animal bond as a success factor for increased mutual physical activity and health benefits in both dog owners and dogs is recommended to be studied in a more in-depth manner.

Reporting perceived capability, motivations, and barriers to reducing treat feeding amongst dog and cat caregivers

Obesity remains a significant concern for dogs and cats, and reducing or eliminating treats is commonly recommended as a strategy for weight management. Caregivers can struggle with adherence to such dietary recommendations. Previous research suggests caregivers are reluctant to reduce treats but there is limited understanding of the underlying factors contributing to these behaviours and decisions. The objective of this study was to explore caregivers' motivations and barriers to reducing treat feeding, and their reported capability to do so. An online questionnaire including multiple choice and Likert scale questions was disseminated to dog and cat caregivers (n=1053) primarily from Canada and the USA from September to November 2021. Caregivers commonly expressed a wide range of motivations to reduce treat feeding with their pet, though barriers to reducing treat feeding were less defined. Changing their pet's routine was a reported barrier by more than 30% of respondents and was predictive of caregivers finding reducing treat giving to be difficult (OR=1.67, p=0.017). Results from multivariable logistic regression also revealed that caregivers who consider their companion animal to be obese as more likely to perceive reducing treats to be difficult. The results highlight the role of treats in the relationship and routine of caregivers' and their pets, and the importance of considering the individualised needs and circumstance of the caregiver and pet in veterinary discussions surrounding reducing treat feeding. Identifying these perspectives can improve self-efficacy with veterinary nutrition recommendations surrounding treats.

A comparison of owner perceived and measured body condition, feeding and exercise in sport and pet dogs

Dog obesity is a significant problem in the US and elsewhere. The purpose was to evaluate factors contributing to pet obesity in sport and pet dog owners. Owners were recruited over social media to answer a questionnaire regarding demographics, health, body condition, feeding, exercise and dog related expenses. Owners identified as pet or sport dog owners. We asked owners to measure the pelvic circumference and hock to stifle length in their dogs in order to calculate percent fat. Owners reported that their dogs were in "ideal" body condition. However, percent fat calculated from owner measurements was significantly different between groups (Sport: 16 ± 10%fat; Pet: 24 ± 10% fat; p < 0.05) and revealed that over 50% of the dogs were over fat. Owners reported feeding dogs a range of 413 to 1,133 Kilocalories (Kcal) per day that correlated well with dog size (R = 0.58; p < 0.05). The size of the treats fed was smaller in the Sport dogs (treat was pinky nail to thumbnail sized) than in Pet dogs (treat was bigger than thumb to larger than palm). Owners reported walking their dogs on leash every day for 15-45 min per session. Overall, owners did a poor job in identifying correct body condition of their dogs. This is concerning because 50% of the dogs were over fat. Better understanding of correct body condition and feeding for the level of physical activity is still a critical issue in controlling obesity in pet dogs.

Dog caregivers' perceptions, motivations, and behaviours for feeding treats: A cross sectional study

Treats are commonly fed by most dog caregivers and can constitute a significant proportion of a dog's diet, potentially contributing to obesity. Feeding aspects related to treats specifically, remain underexplored. An e-survey was voluntarily completed by 716 dog caregivers predominantly from Canada and the USA to identify and describe caregivers' perceptions, motivations, and behaviours surrounding treats, and factors that influence decisions about feeding treats. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze (1) measurement methods associated with monitoring treat intake, and (2) frequency of feeding different types of treats with perceiving dog as overweight/obese. Most caregivers considered the term 'treat' in a nutritional context, but respondents expressed mixed perceptions of how they consider treats in relation to their dog's primary diet. Alongside training and sports activities, aspects relating to the human-animal bond were highly reported to influence decisions surrounding treats. Most respondents were motivated to provide treats because it makes their pet happy, and to strengthen the bond with their dog, and nearly 40% of caregivers frequently feed treats to show love to their dog. Human food and table scraps were frequently fed by 30-40% of caregivers and feeding human food weekly was predictive of caregivers perceiving their dog to be overweight/obese (OR=2.24, p = 0.007). Caregivers estimated treats to account for a median of 15% of their dog's total diet, based on estimated quantity. Caregivers who reported using a measuring cup/scoop to measure their dog's treats were more likely to monitor their dog's treat intake (OR=3.38, p = 0.002). Most caregivers monitor their dog's body condition (60%) or consider their dog's recent activity level (43%) to decide on the amount of treats to feed; only 22% of caregivers reported veterinary advice to support their decisions on the amount of treats to feed. Findings from this research offer new insights to dog caregiver feeding habits and their perceptions of treats in relation to the canine diet. These results can be used to inform veterinary counselling strategies and caregiver education initiatives to promote animal health and well-being.

Fecal microbiota and inflammatory and antioxidant status of obese and lean dogs, and the effect of caloric restriction

Introduction

Obesity is the most common nutritional disease in dogs, and is generally managed by caloric restriction. Gut microbiota alteration could represent a predisposing factor for obesity development, which has been associated with a low-grade inflammatory condition and an impaired antioxidant status. Besides, weight loss has been shown to influence the gut microbiota composition and reduce the inflammatory response and oxidative stress.

Method

However, these insights in canine obesity have not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to assess the differences in serum and inflammatory parameters, antioxidant status, fecal microbiota and bacterial metabolites in 16 obese and 15 lean client-owned dogs and how these parameters in obese may be influenced by caloric restriction. First, for 30 days, all dogs received a high-protein, high-fiber diet in amounts to maintain their body weight; later, obese dogs were fed for 180 days the same diet in restricted amounts to promote weight loss.

Results

Before the introduction of the experimental diet (T0), small differences in fecal microbial populations were detected between obese and lean dogs, but bacterial diversity and main bacterial metabolites did not differ. The fecal Dysbiosis Index (DI) was within the reference range (< 0) in most of dogs of both groups. Compared to lean dogs, obese dogs showed higher serum concentrations of acute-phase proteins, total thyroxine (TT4), and antioxidant capacity. Compared to T0, dietary treatment affected the fecal microbiota of obese dogs, decreasing the abundance of Firmicutes and increasing Bacteroides spp. However, these changes did not significantly affect the DI. The caloric restriction failed to exert significative changes on a large scale on bacterial populations. Consequently, the DI, bacterial diversity indices and metabolites were unaffected in obese dogs. Caloric restriction was not associated with a reduction of inflammatory markers or an improvement of the antioxidant status, while an increase of TT4 has been observed.

Discussion

In summary, the present results underline that canine obesity is associated with chronic inflammation. This study highlights that changes on fecal microbiota of obese dogs induced by the characteristics of the diet should be differentiated from those that are the consequence of the reduced energy intake.