Dear Colleagues,

Research in the US, Australia, and Europe estimates that 40–60% of pet dogs are obese, resulting in lifelong health problems including arthritis, diabetes, poor quality of life, and reduced longevity (Lund et al., 2006; German et al., 2012). A number of factors likely contribute to this problem, including the owner’s knowledge of correct body condition, overfeeding meals and treats, and a lack of regular exercise (Rohlf et al., 2010; Kluess et al., 2021). Previous work from my lab suggested that owner knowledge of the correct body condition was a significant barrier to intervening in the dog’s body condition with food and exercise (Kluess et al., 2021). My work has focused specifically on dogs that participate regularly in canine sports compared to pet dogs that do not participate in sports.

Treatments for dog obesity must involve the owner. Some treatments that have been investigated are owner education (Yaissle et al., 2004), veterinary-led dietary management (Weber et al., 2007; Floerchinger et al., 2015), and involving the owner and the dog in a weight-loss program (Niese et al., 2021). However, these programs frequently have a small effect, the completion rates are low (German et al., 2015), they occur over short time frames, help only a small number of dogs (German, 2016), and approximately 50% of dogs regain the weight (Mann et al., 2007).

The prevention of obesity is a more powerful approach but is equally problematic and must focus on owner education and regular monitoring of a dog’s body condition.  A major barrier to prevention is the owners perception of a dog’s body condition. Several reports suggest that owners are able to identify the correct body condition of their dog 30–50% of the time or less (Kluess and Jones, 2021; Courcier et al., 2011; Eastland-Jones et al., 2014; White et al., 2016; Rohlf et al., 2010; Webb et al., 2018). This is clearly problematic because an owner is unlikely to be committed to a prevention or treatment program for their dog if they do not think their dog has a weight problem. Creative approaches to better owner education, treatment, and prevention are needed.

The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight research regarding preventing obesity, the health consequences of obesity, and effective treatment strategies that engage the owner.

Dr. Heidi A. Kluess
Guest Editor

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• body condition
• feeding
• exercise
• owner perception
• health