BDP 003: How You Can Help Your Dog Live Leaner and Longer

Welcome to the beginning of a podcast series on proactively helping your dog live a longer, healthier life! It's intentional that our first topic in this series is weight management. According to recent data from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, an estimated 54% of dogs in the United States are overweight or obese. It's true. Leaner animals live longer. Obesity has been shown to decrease longevity in species ranging from fish to fruit flies! And In 2001, a fourteen year, landmark study on Labrador Retrievers was published. It reported that maintaining dogs' ideal body condition extended their life span by 15 percent, which translated into nearly two years! We're going to have to change our mindset and I will give you the incentive in today's podcast to make that change! I have a message of hope and encouragement, not guilt! It is never too late to work on your dog's figure. This I know from my personal experience as a veterinarian, but it's also been proven in scientific research—at any point in a dog's life, if you can shift them to a healthier body condition, it will pay dividends in both quality and quantity of life. In other words, it's never too late!