Which Dog Breeds Have the Highest Risk of Becoming Obese?

Source: memoreks/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

It is well established that for humans, being overweight is a health risk factor. Heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and joint problems are much more likely in people who are obese. The same goes for dogs who are carrying too much fat. In fact, the consensus among veterinarians is that obesity in dogs raises the risk of contracting a long list of maladies, including:

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Hypertension
• Osteoarthritis and a faster degeneration of affected joints
• Many types of cancer
• Liver disease or dysfunction
• Lower immune system function
• Heat intolerance
• Respiratory problems (difficulty breathing)
• Decreased stamina

A study published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2018 found that being overweight was associated with a shorter lifespan in the 12 dog breeds studied. The estimated reduction in lifespan for the overweight group was up to two and a half years in that data set. This is definitely a sobering statistic.

It is obvious that certain aspects of a dog's lifestyle will influence its weight. Lack of exercise, too much food, or food that is too rich are clear factors that can make a dog obese. However, one should not overlook the effect of genetics. Clearly, the average Yorkshire Terrier has been genetically wired to grow to an adult weight of around 6 pounds (3 kg), while the genetic predisposition of an English mastiff will have it weighing in at around 200 pounds (91 kg).

If the normal mass of a dog is genetically determined, then it seems reasonable to also assume that dogs of different genetic heritage might have different risks of becoming obese. This was the reasoning of Camilla Pegram of the Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Campus, in the U.K. and her team of researchers who decided to look into the matter.

Their recently published report of the breed distribution obesity in dogs in the U.K. was a big investigation since the study population included all available dogs under primary veterinary care at clinics participating in the Veterinary Companion Animal Surveillance System (VetCompass). VetCompass gathers and electronically collates data from over 30% of the veterinary practices in the U.K. This has become one of the largest veterinary data sets in the world. In this particular study, a random sample of 22,333 dogs was used.

For purposes of this study, a dog was considered to be obese if it weighed 15% or more than the breed average. Using that criterion, the prevalence of overweight dogs found in this study was 7.1%.

Middle-aged dogs (those aged 6 to 9 years) had the highest odds of being overweight compared with dogs less than 3 years of age.

Being neutered or spayed approximately doubled the chances that a dog would be overweight.

As expected, breed played a significant role in the risk of being obese. This current study ranks 18 breeds based on the relative prevalence of overweight dogs in each. Rounding the data to the closest percentage point, here is the list of dogs commonly affected with obesity.

Source: SC Psychological Enterprises Ltd.

The fact that dog breed predicts the likelihood of a dog being overweight confirms the fact that obesity in dogs has a genetic component. This information also should provide some guidance for dog owners since if your pet is one of these breeds at risk of being overweight, you now know that it would be wise to carefully monitor their food input and exercise accordingly.

Copyright SC Psychological Enterprises Ltd. May not be reprinted or reposted without permission.