Which Cats and Dogs are More Predisposed to Obesity?

Mary Ellen Goldberg, BS, LVT, CVT, SRA, CCRA, certified veterinary pain practitioner with VetMedTeam, LLC., explains why some cats and dogs are more predisposed to obesity than others.

Interview Transcript (slightly modified for readability)

“Neutered males and spayed females, because they don’t have the estrogen or progesterone or testosterone circulating like it might normally circulate, these things can be part of why the animal may become obese. Additionally for breeds, you’re going to have dogs like Labradors, golden retrievers, some of the brachiocephalic breeds—pugs, Pekineses, bulldogs—these breeds have a tendency toward gaining weight, and it’s important to keep them fit so that they won’t.

In cats, any cat can gain weight. I see some of the bigger cats, Maine coons, have a tendency to be getting larger and bigger. When you’re thinking about the animal it’s not cute, you’re thinking about their health and their lifespan. So, that’s how I kind of look at it. But I would say that’s overall for cats, but for dogs there are more specific breeds.”