Tag Archives: obesity in dogs

February is American Heart Month—a time when hearts are top of mind. While candy conversation hearts are ubiquitous this time of year, I’m focusing on a different kind of heart: the one inside your dog or cat’s chest that pumps blood throughout the body, delivering oxygen and nutrients while taking away carbon dioxide and waste products. To help raise awareness, the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center featured Dr. Erin Achilles, Senior Veterinarian and board-certified veterinary cardiologist, on this month’s Ask the Vet podcast. This blogpost summarizes her expert recommendations to promote heart health in your dog and cat.

In both humans and pets, weight gain occurs when too many calories are consumed and/or not enough are burned. This sounds simple, but the equation gets complicated by factors intrinsic to the pet, owner feeding practices, and/or a lack of exercise. This blogpost will focus on some of the drivers of canine obesity with a focus on new information on obesity in Labrador retrievers.