Walking at the same pace? Good training sign. Hugging and watching TV together? Adorable.
Eating stressed out together because the two of you are at home all day due to a distressing pandemic? Less captivating – and potentially dangerous.
Veterinarians across the U.S. are seeing weight gain and higher levels of obesity in pets since the start of the pandemic, said Dr. Ernie Ward, veterinary food therapist and founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention.
“We are seeing reports from more and more veterinarians saying, ‘Look, we are seeing more weight gain this year than we saw the year before,'” he told CNN. “(The pandemic) is the perfect storm.”
More snacks at home, less walking outdoors
Movement restrictions, along with more snacks at home, are likely leading to pets’ weight gain and obesity, Ward said.
Simon McDevitt, a New York corgi, is a living example of what more snacks and less walks can do to a dog’s health.
Her owner, Margaret McDevitt, told CNN that, with more time at home, she is more likely to feed Simon on the couch.
“He is the lover of Smartfood popcorn,” she said. “With us more at home, watching TV in the middle of the day … he sees the bag and only begs.”
McDevitt said he noticed about a kilo or three kilos increase since March 2020 – but that number is difficult to estimate because of the extra fluff it grows when its fur grows long.
Living in a small apartment, McDevitt said it was difficult to get Simon to exercise enough.
“During Covid, your long walks definitely became shorter,” she said. “Wanting to limit exposure to other people on the street was one thing – but then again, they just weren’t pleasant anymore. Being around so many people, having to wear a mask … it’s just a different experience.”
In pre-pandemic times, she said, it was easier for Simon to exercise in the dog park or other public space. But the pandemic has made these opportunities less secure, and now, with the colder climate, there are several barriers to sufficient exercise.
You are stressed and so are your pets
There is another factor that Ward said is behind pets’ weight gain and obesity: stress.
“When you are stressed or anxious, your brain secretes a cascade of neurochemicals that stimulate you to eat,” he said.
And pets realize that.
“Our pets tend to take on these emotional attributes, because they are highly empathic,” he said. “They are looking to us for emotional clues.”
McDevitt said Simon has been feeding on stress since the pandemic. After she was released from her job in March and spent more time at home, she realized that he would eat his meals faster and beg for food more often.
“He’s having a harder time when I leave the house,” she said. “He had separation anxiety to begin with, so after spending so much time at home, I started to realize that he was doing it as a coping mechanism.”
She said she plans to make Simon have a healthy weight.
“Now that spring is coming, I intend to extend his hikes again,” she said. “I just got a new job, so I’m trying to put him on a feeding schedule for when I leave the house … now that I’m not so much at home, he will definitely dispense with (popcorn).”
Keeping chonk under control
Pet owners should keep their pets’ weight under control, despite how fluffy this extra fluff may be, Ward said.
Obesity in pets can increase the risk of diabetes, kidney disease, hypertension, arthritis and cancer if ignored, he said.
But Ward said overweight-related illnesses are preventable.
“It’s like we have a crystal ball,” he said. “We know what will happen to your 18-pound cat in the future.”
For parents of pets who want to control the pet’s weight, Ward said the first thing to do is to assess the problem.
To check if the animal is overweight, owners can look at the animal’s side profile to see if there is a stomach hanging from the bottom. Or they can look at the animal from above – if they have an airship or a balloon, he said, it is a good indicator of overweight.
Once pet owners understand the weight of their animals, they can begin to reconnect with some of these negative quarantine habits, such as being too sedentary or eating too much.
As always, taking pets to the vet is a safe way to understand the risk that a pet’s weight poses.
But Ward said that, ultimately, pet owners should not chase a number on a scale – they should chase quality of life.
Simon has come a long way since his rescue in 2014, McDevitt said. She worked hard to relieve her anxiety and increase her ability to trust – and the two formed an extremely close bond in the process.
“He’s my pandemic friend,” she said. “We have to take care of each other.”