New research has unveiled the real dangers of a dog obesity 'epidemic' that's sweeping the UK and putting pooches at risk.
According to the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), who carried out the study, around one in 14 dogs in Britain are found to be overweight during their visits to the vet.
Not every overweight dog will receive the help they need to shed the pounds and become healthy, and there are concerns that these findings discovered by RVC's VetCompass programme may only be the "tip of the iceberg" when it comes to the health of dogs.
Wales Online reports that the breeds identified as especially prone to weight gain include Pugs, Beagles, Golden Retrievers and English Springer Spaniels.
The study involved the monitoring of 22,333 dogs for a year and identifed that 1,580 were recorded as overweight.
Canines that were middle-aged and neutered were more likely to be overweight, because the changes in hormones after this process may result in "behaviour changes, specifically increased appetite and decreased physical activity, leading to a tendency to gain weight".
To help prevent this, the RVC say you should "discuss changes to the diet and exercise plans when they are discussing neutering of their dog with their veterinarian and make adjustments as necessary".
Camilla Pegram, VetCompass epidemiologist at the RVC, and author of the paper, said: "This study has used the power of “big data” to robustly address the risk factors for obesity in dogs. Pugs, Beagles and Golden Retrievers were at greatest risk of obesity compared with crossbreeds.
"As well as genetics, management style could in part drive these breed predispositions. Whilst veterinary professionals and owners should focus efforts on obesity prevention strategies in all dogs, those identified at high-risk, such as Pugs, Beagles and Golden Retrievers, may need a more targeted approach."
Dr Eleanor Raffan, associate lecturer in Systems Physiology, at the University of Cambridge, and co-author of the paper, said: "Where breed increases risk of a problem, it means genes are likely to be at least in part to blame and our previous work suggests that genetics drives a high appetite in some breeds.
"The bad news is that owners of food-obsessed dogs have to work much harder to keep their dogs at a healthy weight – the good news is that it can be done."
Dr Dan O’Neill, senior lecturer, Companion Animal Epidemiology, at the RVC, and another co-author of the paper, said: "To defeat your enemy, you need to know your enemy. Obesity is the enemy of the health of our dogs.
"This new study identifies the breeds and ages of dogs that are most susceptible to obesity; we can use this information to defeat obesity."
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - sign up to our daily newsletter here .
