For most of us, America really is the land of plenty. Just about anything we want, need, or can imagine ourselves wanting is available to us. However, when the topic is food consumption, for too many of us the word ‘plenty’ should be changed to ‘excess’. Recent surveys suggest that as many as 60% of Americans are overweight, and half of them can be defined as obese. Many people have come to consider being moderately overweight as normal, and they are applying this attitude to the way they view their pets. There are an awful lot of overweight and obese dogs and cats out there, and most of these pets’ owners think that is just fine. It isn’t.

Nestle Purina and the University of Pennsylvania recently completed a fourteen year study to determine how being overweight affects dogs. The results were predictable; dogs kept at the proper weight lived longer, healthier lives than their heavier relatives. The study involved 48 Labrador retriever puppies from seven different litters who were tracked for 14 years. They were divided into control groups and lean-fed groups, with the lean-fed dogs being fed a diet containing 25% fewer calories than the more generously fed control dogs.

This comprehensive study evaluated the effects of reduced food intake on body condition and a variety of other health parameters, as well as life span itself. It was determined from the study that feeding less doesn’t necessarily change what health problems a dog will experience or what, ultimately, will cause its death, but it does influence when it will occur.

The study found that the median life span of the dogs in the lean-fed group was extended by 1.8 years (15% beyond the control group). Another area of interest was the age at which the dogs began to require treatment for chronic age related diseases and problems. The age when 50% of the group required treatment was 12.0 years for the lean-fed group versus 9.9 years for the control group. The lean-fed group also began to experience late-life loss of lean body mass two years later than the control group (11 years versus 9 years). All the dogs were observed to look for visible signs of aging, with the control group dogs exhibiting more graying around the muzzle, impaired gait and reduced activity than the lean-fed dogs.

So how do you determine if a dog is overweight? There are two simple tests that anyone can perform. First, stand behind the dog and look down. There should be a noticeable waist, an hourglass shape from the chest to the hips. Then place your hands on both sides of the chest and feel for the ribs. You should be able to feel each rib. If you can’t, it’s diet time. If a dog seems only slightly overweight, cutting back gradually on the amount you feed should solve the problem. For the more rotund pooch, a visit to the vet is a good idea before making any changes in the diet. Carrying that extra weight is hard on the body; the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and all the organs work harder to support the added pounds. Hip dysplasia, arthritis and other joint injuries are a problem, and back injuries are not uncommon. Diabetes has a way of showing up in overweight dogs and cats. A checkup by the vet can detect problems early or before they begin, and the vet can help you develop a weight loss plan that will be safe and effective.

It can be difficult to resist giving pets extra food, especially when they look at you with those eyes, but you will be doing him a favor if you say no and take him for a walk instead.