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Public's help sought to help tackle canine obesity 'epidemic'

Posted 26 June

A long-running research project into the ‘modern day epidemic’ of canine obesity is asking members of the public to assess dogs’ body condition. 

Body condition is a method used by veterinary professionals to assess canine body fat and help determine whether dogs are overweight, underweight or at an ideal weight for their build and breed. 

The research is being carried out by Kat Hart, a Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Nursing at Harper Adams as part of a six-year PhD investigation which draws upon her experiences as a Registered Veterinary Nurse. 

She said: “I developed my interest in researching this topic after working in clinical practice for several years and seeing how overweight and obese dogs make up a large proportion of the case load.  

In many cases, their body condition increases the risk of complications during their treatment and care - for example, during general anaesthesia and their rehabilitation programmes.  

This is an ongoing problem and a frequent challenge for veterinary professionals and dog owners due to the impact of an overweight body condition on the dog's health and wellbeing, in addition to their owner.” 

Kat is currently undertaking her PhD on a part-time basis alongside her role as a lecturer. 

She added: “Research-based teaching is vital for good curriculum design in higher education provision, and it is particularly important in veterinary medicine, which is a constantly evolving practice.  

Being able to undertake primary research alongside my teaching, particularly applied research such as this, ensures the knowledge I pass on to students is current and will be highly relevant to them when they embark upon their veterinary nursing careers. 

Kat said “This ongoing research is vital for the health and happiness of dogs – as canine obesity is a growing problem. 

It has recently been described as a modern-day epidemic, and one of the most prevalent disorders in this species.  

“Obesity in dogs is recognised as a significant medical condition due to its ability to impact welfare and reduce quality of life - and predispose the body to several complex conditions such as osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus and cardiorespiratory disease.  

“Research on public and owner understanding and awareness of this condition will provide an insight into the challenges of preventing and managing this condition, which will ultimately help to improve the welfare of dogs.” 

Anyone who is over 18, isn’t a veterinary professional and who does not have significant training in body condition scoring in dogs can take part in the research – which simply involves filling in an online questionnaire, which can be found at: