The vet charity for pets in need, PDSA, says the pet obesity crisis needs ‘urgent attention’ as vet teams estimate around half of UK pets are overweight – equating to around 5 million dogs and 4.7 million cats.
It comes as the charity, alongside its partner Royal Canin, visits Crufts in a bid to tackle the growing pet obesity crisis head on through its ‘Big Weigh In’ campaign.
PDSA, in partnership with Royal Canin, is inviting pet owners to book free weight checks at participating vet practices nationwide throughout February and March. There are more than 500 vet practices signed up and pet owners can find their local participating practice and book their free appointment here: pdsa.org.uk/WeighUp
“We’re all guilty of over-indulging at times, but worryingly, 36% of dog owners admit to regularly giving their pet leftovers*,” explains PDSA Vet Nurse Nina Downing.
“And while a tasty treat now and then, when considered amidst the rest of their food intake, won’t harm your pet, regularly overfeeding them could lead to serious health problems.
“Since our PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report launched over a decade ago, overweight and obese pets have always been an issue but almost half of veterinary professionals (49%) say they’ve seen an increase in pet obesity in the last two years. And a quarter say obesity is one of the top five welfare issues in dogs.
“But with more and more people owning a pet these days, especially dogs, we’re now at a point where it needs urgent attention before it gets even worse.”
American Bulldog Roscoe has managed to shed over 23kg so far!
With success stories like Roscoe’s, a 13-year-old American Bulldog who came into PDSA’s care weighing a whopping 75kg – PDSA are inviting pet owners across Scotland to join in and visit a participating vet practice to get their pet weighed for FREE!
With one month left to go, PDSA and Royal Canin are calling on pet owners across Scotland to take advantage of a free weight check for their four-legged friend by signing up to the new ‘Big Weigh In’ initiative.
The new PDSA Big Weigh In initiative is taking place throughout February and March 2023 and is now in its final month countdown to join in! The campaign is in conjunction with veterinary practices across the UK to help the pet population shed some pounds.
A weight loss success story is Roscoe, a 13-year-old American Bulldog who initially came into PDSA’s care weighing a whopping 75kg and after a tremendous effort from his owner, Craig, Roscoe has managed to shed over 23kg and he is very nearly at his ideal weight!
The excess weight was affecting Roscoe’s daily life through his breathing and energy levels, so losing the weight was vital for his health and happiness.
Craig said: “From struggling to walk him around the local green to seeing him run around with dogs in the park, I’m so pleased we got expert advice to kick-start his weight loss journey. Roscoe has such a big personality, he’s cheeky, loving, and is very intelligent, but when he was overweight he wasn’t the same dog.
“Thankfully, he’s back to his old, happy self and I can’t thank PDSA enough for giving us the support we needed to get Roscoe to where he is today. And I’m so pleased we’ve been able to keep the weight off, although Roscoe does get a little confused still when we don’t give him any leftovers from a Sunday roast.”
The main aim for PDSA Big Weigh In is to help other pets like Roscoe live a better and hopefully longer life, by maintaining a healthy weight.
For dog and cat owners in Scotland; you are able to find which vet practices across the UK are taking part and inviting pets to come in and get weighed on the veterinary practice map.
In 2022, the charity’s annual PAW (PDSA Animal Wellbeing) Report revealed 60% of owners regularly give their pet human food in some form, such as leftovers (26%), cheese (22%) and bread or toast (10%).
Human food is often high in fats and sugar, and can contribute to obesity and weight problems as well as potentially leading to an unbalanced diet for our pets. As per PDSA calculations, feeding a dog a slice of toast with butter, is the equivalent of a human eating two portions of fries.
Similarly, feeding a cat three small cubes of cheese, is the equivalent of a human eating two quarter pounders!
PDSA Veterinary Surgeon, Lynne James said:“Our Weigh Up campaign was popular amongst pet owners who were keen to understand more about their pet’s weight, in order to keep them fit and healthy.
“Now we are taking the next step and launching PDSA Big Weigh In – where we are inviting owners to join in and visit a participating practice for a free weight check.
“We have also launched the PDSA #WeighUp Pet Weight Loss Support Group, for fellow pet owners to join, share their progress and access exclusive tips and content, including weekly Q&A’s with PDSA vets and vet nurses, all to help each pet owner with their pet’s weight loss journey.”
If you would like to find out more before visiting your local participating practice, please visit PDSA’s website.
