Futurologist predicts the future of pet health, and how to tackle animal obesity

Having an overweight pet could cost owners £1,500 in vets' bills per visit, claims data has revealed. Common health problems caused by excessive weight include cruciate ligament injuries, urinary tract disease, diabetes, and arthritis.

Addressing cruciate ligament injuries can mean swallowing a whopping bill of £1,578.28, while urinary tract disease costs for cats are skyrocketing to a jaw-dropping £752.06.

Data from pet insurer ManyPets shows, on average, pet owners are forking out £682.65 for a trip to the vets for diabetes, while arthritis costs are coming to £476.61.

And it comes as 51% of cat and dog owners admit they are already concerned about their pets’ weight, according to a separate poll of 2,000 pet owners.

Nearly a fifth (18%) of those with a cat or dog could encounter these bills soon, as they believe their pet already is carrying more weight than it should – and 19% admit they are already shelling out more to tackle their pets’ fluctuating size.

The research was commissioned as part of the ManyPets “Why Weight?” report, and launch of its Obesity Learning Hub.

Steven Mendel, chief executive and co-founder of the pet insurer, said: “We understand it can be difficult to resist rewarding pets with extra treats, and heart-breaking to say no to them when they’re asking for more food.

“But, with obesity-associated health problems becoming more and more prevalent, we urge pet parents to think twice to save their pets. We’re proud to have launched our Obesity Learning Hub to offer tips and veterinary-approved advice for pet parents everywhere.”

The research went on to find, with the rising cost of living still looming large for many pet owners, 22% have been forced to make cutbacks to their pet’s lifestyle.

Almost half (49%) of these are now opting for lower-quality brands of food, and 37% have reduced their spend on healthcare.

But 88% believe they would be able to recognise the signs a pet is potentially getting to an unhealthy weight – yet only 31% regularly keep an eye on their pet’s weight.

Moreover, 39% will only visit the vets in an emergency – all of which point to an increase in weight going unchecked.

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In a bid to help keep weight down, 76% do try to keep their four-legged friends as active as possible, while 75% limit the number of treats or table scraps they give out.

The study, carried out via OnePoll, found 22% of those with an overweight pet feel as if their cat or dog is “always hungry” – although a puzzled 19% scratch their heads over their pet's weight, as they don’t believe they eat an excessive amount.

Steven Mendel added: “While many pet owners believe it should be straightforward to spot if their cat or dog is putting on weight, it’s often easier said than done.

“In most cases, gaining weight is very gradual, meaning it can be trickier to identify – especially if pets are not attending the vet regularly.

“We’re hopeful that with the right course of action, and identifying the signs early, longer-term pet health problems can be avoided in the future.”

ManyPets has also teamed up with futurologist, Tom Cheesewright, to reveal what the future of pet health could look like.

A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE OF PET HEALTH:

• METAPETS: Humans are spending more and more time in the virtual world, especially for exercise. The metaverse allows us to mix the real world with the digital – so what we might see is future exercise games that include our pets, creating a space for humans and pets to enjoy exercising together. A run around the park with your dog could become a race to escape a horde of invading aliens together, for example. Your metaverse headset can identify your dog, and show you the aliens running away from Rover as he scampers across the grass.
• COMMUNAL FACILITIES: Part of the challenge of pet obesity is a lack of space for them to run around, and time for us to take them out. One solution might be shared facilities for our pets – or even shared pets. The central courtyard in a rectangular apartment block could be turned over to animals, with a reconfigurable exercise yard to keep them engaged and challenged, and a couple of different zones to separate them out – as not all cats and dogs get along.
• DECAMPING TO THE COUNTRY: Housebuilders and property developers might take advantage of this desire and start to build more pet-friendly country homes – small, but with the next must-have feature: a Pet Room. Somewhere on the ground floor that your pet can call their own, with secured access to the outside world, and plenty of comfort and indoor entertainment (though we know that even future cats will never sleep in a bed you buy for them).
• FLEXITARIAN PETS: Exercise is a huge component of our pets’ health, but we can’t ignore diet as well. There are many things we might do in the future to improve our pets’ diets, ensuring they get the nutrition they need while reducing levels of obesity. Lab-grown meats might be a future low-carbon alternative that still offer pets the nutrients they need – though the price will have to fall, as right now they would be an expensive way to feed a pet. However, the future could see engineered foods become a cheaper and more sustainable alternative.
• HONEY, I SHRUNK THE DOG: As a general rule, big dogs need more exercise and more food. That can make it tricky to meet their exercise needs, and expensive to give them a diet of the required volume and ideal quality. If we want to reduce pet obesity, we might want to look at reducing the size of pets overall – or rather, choosing breeds with lower food and exercise requirements.

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