Adult dogs and cats in overweight or obese condition are common, but prevalence data for different life stages, especially growth, are limited, and may help inform when preventative measures may be most effective. In this retrospective observational study, prevalences of overweight and obese condition were determined from the electronic medical records of dogs and cats of all life stages visiting Banfield Pet Hospital in the USA between 2020 and 2023. Animals were identified either by body condition score (BCS; overweight 6-7; obese 8-9) or from a clinical diagnosis of overweight condition or obesity when recorded. Life stages (early growth, late growth, young adult, adult, mature, and senior) were defined by age range, adjusted for species and breed size in dogs. Individuals could only be included once within each life stage, with the maximum BCS used. Prevalence was determined for the 4-year period and for each calendar year. The evolution of BCS was also assessed for animals with multiple records. In total, 4933,916 unique dogs and 1341,118 unique cats were included. In dogs, prevalences of overweight or obese condition were: 0.9 % and < 0.0 % (early growth), 9.5 % and 0.3 % (late growth), 24.4 % and 1.9 % (young adult); 44.5 % and 8.4 % (adult), 50.1 % and 12.6 % (mature); 46.4 % and 11.3 % (senior). In cats, prevalences of overweight or obese condition were: 0.8 % and < 0.0 % (early growth); 10.7 % and 0.4 % (late growth); 36.2 % and 3.6 % (young adult); 47.2 % and 13.9 % (adult); 44.8 % and 21.7 % (mature); and 32.0 % and 12.6 % (senior). From 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 prevalences of overweight and obese condition in dogs and overweight condition in cats increased in most life stages. The prevalence of overweight condition in dogs and obese condition in cats and dogs significantly decreased between 2022 and 2023 for some life stages. The odds ratio of an overweight or obese condition in adulthood was 1.85 (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.81, 1.86); P ≤ 0.001) for dogs and 1.52 (95 % CI: 1.48, 1.56; P ≤ 0.001) for cats where an overweight or obese condition was recorded during growth. In conclusion, both overweight and obese condition are prevalent throughout adult life, peaking during the mature life stage in dogs and cats, with overweight or obese condition during growth persisting into adulthood in most affected animals. Veterinarian-led prevention strategies are recommended from growth onwards, including the use of growth standard charts.

Many dogs and cats are affected by chronic diseases that significantly impact their health and welfare and relationships with humans. Some of these diseases can be challenging to treat, and a better understanding of early-life risk factors for diseases occurring in adulthood is key to improving preventive veterinary care and husbandry practices. This article reviews early-life risk factors for obesity and chronic enteropathy, and for chronic behavioral problems, which can also be intractable with life-changing consequences. Aspects of early life in puppies and kittens that can impact the risk of adult disorders include maternal nutrition, establishment of the gut microbiome, maternal behavior, weaning, nutrition during growth, growth rate, socialization with conspecifics and humans, rehoming and neutering. Despite evidence in some species that the disorders reviewed here reflect the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD), developmental programming has rarely been studied in dogs and cats. Priorities and strategies to increase knowledge of early-life risk factors and DOHaD in dogs and cats are discussed. Critical windows of development are proposed: preconception, gestation, the suckling period, early growth pre-neutering or pre-puberty, and growth post-neutering or post-puberty to adult size, the durations of which depend upon species and breed. Challenges to DOHaD research in these species include a large number of breeds with wide genetic and phenotypic variability, and the existence of many mixed-breed individuals. Moreover, difficulties in conducting prospective lifelong cohort studies are exacerbated by discontinuity in pet husbandry between breeders and subsequent owners, and by the dispersed nature of pet ownership.

Fashions in the appearance of purebred dogs and cats are encouraged by celebrity culture, social media, and online impulse buying. The popularity of characteristics perceived as cute, quirky, and anthropomorphic has driven increasingly exaggerated breed features appealing to aesthetics rather than health. ‘Hypertypes’ of some breeds have emerged that take a breed’s distinctive appearance to extremes beyond the intended interpretation of breed standards. This has severe, direct and indirect health and welfare consequences. Extreme conformations are associated with chronic health conditions including brachycephalic obstructive airway disorder, ocular, dental, skin, and musculoskeletal disorders. Puppy and kitten farms and illegal traders that meet the demand for hypertypes are associated with poor husbandry that neglects the physical, behavioral, and mental health of parents and offspring. A multidimensional approach involving collaboration between breeders, geneticists, owners, veterinarians, kennel clubs, cat fanciers’ associations, animal charities, the academic and research communities, commercial enterprises, and governments is needed to safeguard breeds and tackle these challenges. There are many ongoing initiatives by national kennel clubs and global partnerships to educate pet owners and support responsible pet ownership and sustainable breeding. The resounding message is that health, temperament, and well-being must be prioritized over appearance.

Low birth weight (LBW) has been identified as a major risk factor for neonatal mortality in many species. The aim of this survey was to determine the profiles of canine and feline breeders concerning their perceptions of, and management practices relating to, LBW individuals. An anonymous online survey was addressed to French cat and dog breeders in September 2019 via social networks. Multiple correspondence analysis and hierarchical clustering were used to explore breeders’ profiles. Three clusters were identified among the 649 breeders included in this analysis. Cluster 1 (49%) included dog and cat breeders who weighed newborns (and thus identified LBW) and controlled nursing by the dam (controlled suckling) but did not warm them up. Cluster 2 breeders (21%) of both species did not weigh puppies or kittens to identify LBW or to monitor the evolution of their weight afterwards. Cluster 3 (30%) including mostly cat breeders who weighed neonates routinely as in Cluster 1, but they practiced artificial feeding rather than controlled suckling. This survey provides a basis for better understanding of perceptions and practices regarding LBW puppies and kittens. It will be useful to provide guidelines for neonatal management to increase their chances of survival.

Puppy survival during their first weeks of life can be improved, and early detection of puppies with increased mortality risk is one of the keys to success. In the canine species, the few studies on this subject focused on birth weight, which reflects intrauterine growth. The present work aimed to explore the interconnections between birth weight, early growth and survival until two months of life in the canine species. In total, data from 8550 puppies born in 127 French breeding kennels were analysed. Five different growth rates were calculated to reflect the growth of puppies during their first week of life. Low-birth-weight puppies had lower growth than normal-birth-weight puppies over the first two days of life but higher growth rates thereafter. Growth-rate thresholds allowing the identification of puppies at higher risk of mortality during their first two months of life were lower for low-birth-weight puppies. These thresholds will help breeders and veterinarians to identify puppies at risk with particular needs for monitoring and nursing to improve their chances of survival.

This prospective case series investigated potential uterine causes of infertility in queens. Purebred queens with infertility (failure to conceive, embryonic death, or failure to maintain pregnancy and produce viable kittens), but no other reproductive disorders were examined approximately 1-8 weeks before mating (Visit 1), 21 days after mating (Visit 2), and 45 days after mating (Visit 3) if pregnant at Visit 2. Investigations included vaginal cytology and bacteriology, urine bacteriology, and ultrasonography. At Visit 2 or 3, uterine biopsy or ovariohysterectomy was performed for histology. Of nine eligible queens, seven were non-pregnant by ultrasound at Visit 2 and two had lost pregnancies by Visit 3. Ovulation was confirmed by serum progesterone concentration in all queens. Ultrasonic appearance of the ovaries and uterus was compatible with a healthy status except for one queen with signs of cystic endometrial hyperplasia (CEH) and pyometra, a follicular cyst in another, and fetal resorptions in two queens. Six cats had histologic lesions of endometrial hyperplasia, including CEH (n=1). Only one cat had no histologic uterine lesions. Bacteria were cultured from vaginal samples in seven queens at Visit 1, (two were non-evaluable), and in five of seven queens sampled at Visit 2. Uterine cultures were negative except for the cat with pyometra. All urine cultures were negative. In summary, the most frequent pathology observed in these infertile queens was histologic endometrial hyperplasia, which can potentially inhibit embryo implantation and healthy placental development. This suggests that uterine disease might contribute substantially to infertility in purebred queens.