It’s not just us humans that are gaining weight during the pandemic.It’s not just us humans that are gaining weight during the pandemic. According to a recent survey, 33% of pet parents reported weight gains in their pets during the pandemic. More troubling, only 12% of pet parents were concerned about their pet’s weight during a vet visit, and 69% of pet parents acted surprised or defensive when a vet stated that their pet was overweight.
It all boils down to the “fat gap” or the difference between a pet parent’s assessment of their pet being overweight and what a vet thinks. When it comes to why pets are gaining weight, any number of reasons from lack of physical activity to poor diet could be to blame. One interesting finding in the survey is related to the perception of no or low grain diets. In 2016, 61% of dog owners felt that no or low grain diets were healthy compared with only 40% in 2018. This decline was associated with an FDA investigation into a heart condition which was thought to be related to grain free foods. However, this relation was later disproven. Nevertheless, some consumer perception still exists that grain free foods are dangerous, and some have switched to grain diets that are based on older and poorer formulations.
As you can see, we need to keep perceptions in check and our eyes focused on reality. Make sure to trust your vet and experts on what should be a healthy weight for your pet. Additionally, make sure to feed them the best like our holistic and grain-free PURELUXE Dog and Cat formulas.
-Source
https://www.petfoodindustry.com/blogs/7-adventures-in-pet-food/post/10816-pet-obesity-rate-and-tracking-affected-by-pandemic
