According to the State of Pet Health 2017 Report, dogs throughout the country are alarmingly overweight and obese. But surely not the dogs in Colorado, right? Wrong.
Thanks to the annual health report from Banfield Pet Hospital, we've got all the most recent stats on dogs in Colorado. Are you ready for some facts and figures? Here's everything you've ever wanted to know about man's best friend ... and then some.
Unlike their overwhelmingly-fit human owners, 33 percent of Colorado dogs were overweight or obese, compared to the national average of 30 percent. Only between 20 and 25 percent of Colorado humans are considered obese.
Their level of obesity places Colorado dogs in the top 20 of states with overweight pets. That seems crazy, right? What about the scene virtually any given weekend at Wash Park or any number of parks across the metro area? If there's one thing I know about Coloradans is that we love to be outdoors exercising -- especially with our dogs!
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But just like in humans, the State of Pet Health 2017 Report says that canines can become overweight for a variety of reasons, including lack of exercise, overfeeding, disease, and genetics. Prevention and proper care of your pooch is vital:
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Image courtesy of banfield.com[/caption]
Besides obesity, Colorado dogs' most common maladies include Dental Calculus (basically, tartar or hardened plaque on teeth) and Nuclear Sclerosis (a transparent bluish "haze" on the lens of the eye, usually in older dogs).
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Image courtesy of banfield.com[/caption]
Now that we've covered all the health stats, how about a couple fun facts? The most common dog breeds that Coloradans choose are Labrador Retrievers, Chihuahuas, and German Shepherds, in that order. And what do we name our dogs? Gone are the days of Fido and Bruiser. Our state prefers to treat our dogs like people, giving them names like Bella and Max. (My dog's name is Juliet!)
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Banfield Pet Hospital, who presented the report, has more than 900 locations across the United States, including 32 pet hospitals in the Denver metro area.
"All statistics [were] calculated by the Banfield Applied Research and Knowledge Team based on 2.5 million dogs and 505,000 cats seen at Banfield Hospitals in 2016," their website says. Visit their site for more detailed report results and statistics (including findings on cats, too, if that's more your style!).
What do you think about the report's findings? Are you surprised that dogs in Colorado are more obese than the national average? Tell us what you think in the comments, and don't forget to post a photo of your Colorado dog! We'd love to see it!
