United States Report · 2022 Benchmark
State of Pet Obesity
Moving from awareness to treatment
A national reference on companion animal obesity in the United States, tracking prevalence, owner perception, feeding behavior, clinical trends, and the case for treating obesity as a chronic, multifactorial disease.
By the numbers
Dogs
59%
of evaluated dogs were overweight or had obesity
Cats
61%
of evaluated cats were overweight or had obesity
Owner perception
1 in 3
nearly one-third of owners of overweight pets or pets with obesity rated their pet as normal, ideal, or thin
Insurance claims
20%
estimated share of all pet insurance claims attributed to pet obesity in the report
Source: Association for Pet Obesity Prevention U.S. Prevalence and Opinion Surveys, 2022. Pets were evaluated by U.S. veterinary professionals.
Executive Summary
Obesity remains one of the most common health problems in U.S. companion animals
In 2022, 59% of dogs and 61% of cats evaluated by veterinary professionals were classified as overweight or having obesity. For dogs, 37% were classified as overweight and 22% as having obesity. For cats, 28% were classified as overweight and 33% as having obesity.
The report documents a continued gap between clinical assessment and owner perception. Nearly one-third of owners of overweight pets or pets with obesity classified their pet as normal, ideal, or thin before being told the pet’s current weight or Body Condition Score. The report argues that the field must move beyond awareness alone and toward earlier recognition, treatment, monitoring, and support.
Report Scope
What the report covers
The 2022 report summarizes national prevalence findings, pet owner opinion data, clinical assessment challenges, treatment gaps, and APOP’s shift from pet obesity awareness toward treatment.
01
Prevalence survey
A U.S. in-clinic survey measuring weight, age, Body Condition Score, comorbidities, and pet owner assessment of body condition.
02
Survey participation
The 2022 prevalence survey included 1,152 pets: 880 dogs and 272 cats. The companion survey included 403 respondents.
03
Four pillars of care
The report identifies four pillars of pet obesity care: Education and Awareness, Diagnostics, Treatments, and Monitoring and Support.
04
Awareness to treatment
The report describes APOP’s shift from Pet Obesity Awareness to Treatment, with emphasis on diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and support.
Key Findings
Highlights from the 2022 U.S. report
Highlights include prevalence, owner perception, healthy-weight conversations, treatment gaps, and assessment limitations.
Obesity remains highly prevalent
In the 2022 in-clinic prevalence survey, 59% of evaluated dogs and 61% of evaluated cats were classified by veterinary professionals as overweight or having obesity. Canine obesity, defined as BCS 8–9, increased to 22%, up from 19% in 2018, while feline obesity was reported at 33%.
Owner perception remains a major barrier
Nearly one-third, or 32%, of owners of overweight pets or pets with obesity described their pet as normal, ideal, or thin before being told the pet’s current weight or BCS.
Healthy-weight conversations are inconsistent
In 2022, 49% of respondents reported that their veterinary professional discussed their pet’s ideal or healthy weight or body condition yearly.
Treatment diet use remains low
The report describes therapeutic weight-loss diets as the primary evidence-based treatment veterinary professionals have to help an overweight pet attain a healthy body composition. It also states that only about one in five owners of overweight pets reported trying a therapeutic weight-loss diet.
Better assessment tools are needed
The report recognizes the limitations and inconsistencies of BCS and notes the need for improved methods for measuring body condition and body fat in dogs and cats.
Classification
How obesity is classified
The prevalence survey uses a whole-integer 1–9 Body Condition Score system to classify body condition in dogs and cats. In the report, overweight is classified as BCS 6–7 and obesity as BCS 8–9, with obesity defined as approximately 30% above ideal body weight.
- 1–2 Very thin
- 3–4 Thin
- 5 Ideal
- 6–7 Overweight
- 8–9 Obesity
Body condition exists on a continuum, and any fixed cutoff is necessarily approximate. The report also notes that BCS has known limitations and user variability. In the 2022 survey, APOP reported approximately 10% obvious reporting errors, with feline BCS 8–9 most often underreported as BCS 7–8.
Clinical Relevance
Why it matters
The report describes obesity as a multifactorial disease caused by excess adiposity sufficient to contribute to disease. It states that obesity in dogs and cats is associated with increased risk of noncommunicable diseases, including skin and respiratory disorders, renal dysfunction, metabolic and endocrine disorders, orthopedic disease, some types of cancer, reduced quality of life, and decreased life expectancy.
The report frames the 2022 findings as a call to move from awareness to treatment. It identifies the need for continued innovation in diagnostic tools, therapeutic diets, interventions, and resources that support compliance and adherence to weight-loss programs.
Treatment Gaps
Treatment and communication gaps
The report emphasizes that treating pet obesity requires better communication, earlier intervention, and stronger long-term support for veterinary teams and pet owners.
Many owners are open to the conversation
Two-thirds of surveyed pet owners, 67%, said they had not felt embarrassed or uncomfortable after being told their pet needed to lose weight.
Weight-loss attempts are common
Most surveyed pet owners reported they had tried to help their pets lose weight. The report states that 73% of dog owners and 58% of cat owners had tried some form of pet weight loss.
Owner-reported success is mixed
Dog owners reported higher success or some success rates than cat owners. The report cautions that self-reported weight loss does not necessarily confirm permanent, meaningful, or actual weight loss.
Communication should avoid blame
The report states that many owners blame themselves for their pet’s body condition, reinforcing the need for empathetic, sensitive, and nonjudgmental communication.
Citation and Media
Citation & media
Use this report for media background, clinical education, presentations, and data reference with attribution to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention.
- About the data
- Based on the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention’s nineteenth National Pet Obesity Prevalence Survey, which included 1,152 pets, 880 dogs and 272 cats, and its companion Pet Weight, Nutrition, and Pet Food Survey, which included 403 respondents.
- Data source
- Association for Pet Obesity Prevention U.S. Prevalence and Opinion Surveys, 2022.
- Suggested citation
- Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (2022). State of Pet Obesity in the United States.
- Media inquiries
- For interviews, data clarification, or expert commentary: info@petobesityprevention.org
Related Resources
Explore further
Tools and resources to support body condition assessment, weight-loss planning, clinical communication, and future prevalence research.
Clinical
Clinical Obesity
How obesity is defined, assessed, and treated as a chronic condition.
Assessment
Body Condition Score Charts
Species-specific BCS charts for consistent assessment.
Tools
Calculators & Tools
Feeding, energy, and weight-loss calculators for clinical use.
Participate
Join the Prevalence Survey
Help build future prevalence data through the clinic survey.