Pudgy Pups: New York Dogs Pack On the Pounds
Popular watercooler talk at workplaces everywhere is the topic of how much weight we’ve managed to pack on since the pandemic. But, have we stopped to look at our pets and consider whether or not they’ve done the same?
According to Healthline, more than 61 percent of Americans freely admit that they’ve gained a pretty substantial amount of weight since March 2020 when the pandemic was first brought to light. A good amount of the weight gain could be attributed to drinking more which is what 60 percent of Americans admitted to doing when they were cooped up at home.
Pumpkin says it's not just two-legged creatures who’ve seen a weight increase though. According to Pumpkin, 36 percent of humans say their pups gained weight during the pandemic but what’s interesting is that 25 percent of dogs who gained weight also got more exercise than they did before the pandemic.
You might wonder how dogs getting more exercise could pack on so much extra weight. Well, in the same study by Pumpkin, 45 percent of humans admit that during the pandemic, they gave their dogs extra treats. And, 41 percent of people say they fed their dog more table scraps than normal.
Veternatians.org put out a rundown of which states have the plumpest dogs and Pennsylvania doggies are the plumpest of all other states weighing in 18 pounds more than they should.
New York dogs aren’t in the clear though. New York dogs landed at number eight on the top ten list of states with the most overweight dogs. Our dogs are carrying around 14.03 more pounds than they really should be.
A couple of pounds of weight gain probably won't harm your dog, but 14 pounds is more than a couple and if your dog is leaning more toward that side, you might want to have a chat with your vet.