The prevalence of obesity in dogs has been a growing concern in recent years. The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) conducts annual surveys on pet obesity. Their 2020 survey reported that approximately 60% of cats and 56% of dogs in the U.S. were classified as overweight or obese.

Carrying extra, unwanted body weight strains your dog's joints. As this process progresses, critical joint components like synovial fluid, which keeps joints moving smoothly, and cartilage, which cushions the ends of bones, can degrade, causing pain and restricting movement in your dog.

Joint disease and obesity are closely linked in dogs. Obesity significantly increases the risk of developing joint disease or exacerbating existing joint issues. Excess weight places extra stress on your dog's joints, particularly the weight-bearing joints like hips, knees, and elbows. The additional load on these joints can accelerate wear and tear of the cartilage, leading to conditions like osteoarthritis.

Obesity is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation throughout your dog’s body. Inflammation can contribute to joint tenderness and exacerbate the signs of arthritis and metabolic diseases like diabetes. Obesity often leads to insulin resistance, which contributes to joint inflammation and cartilage damage.

Obese dogs tend to be less active due to reduced mobility and increased fatigue. But when your dog does not get enough exercise, muscles weaken, consequently affecting joint stability.

Obesity-related inflammation can contribute to the breakdown of cartilage, the protective tissue that cushions joints. When cartilage deteriorates, it increases friction in the joints, causing your dog pain and reduced mobility. 

When your dog has excess fat around the joints, the fat tissue can compress blood vessels and restrict blood flow to joints. Reduced blood flow can hinder your dog’s ability to repair and maintain joint health.

Joint disease can result from a combination of factors, including genetics, age, obesity, injury, trauma, and overuse of joints. Larger dog breeds are often more prone to joint issues due to their size and weight. 

Signs of joint disease in dogs can include limping, stiffness, reluctance to move or jump, decreased activity, difficulty rising or sitting, and changes in gait. Dogs might also show signs of pain, such as whimpering or increased irritability.

Obesity in dogs can exacerbate various types of joint disorders, making them more likely to occur or worsen their severity. Each type of joint disorder has its causes, clinical signs, and treatment approaches. Early detection and appropriate management can significantly improve your dog's quality of life.

Obesity significantly increases your dog’s risk factor for developing and progressing osteoarthritis. The excess weight places additional stress on joints, accelerating the breakdown of cartilage and leading to pain, inflammation, and reduced mobility.

Cartilage works as a cushion in a healthy joint, allowing it to move smoothly throughout its entire range of motion. When dogs develop arthritis, the cartilage cushion begins to break down, resulting in pain, inflammation, decreased range of motion, decreased mobility, and the formation of bone spurs. Osteoarthritis can affect any joint in your dog's body, although the limbs and lower spine are the most commonly affected.

Dogs that are overweight or obese have a higher risk of CCL rupture due to the increased stress placed on the ligament. The added weight can lead to tears or ruptures of this ligament in the knee joint. 

The CCL is a crucial ligament that helps stabilize the knee joint and prevents excessive forward movement of the shin bone (tibia) in relation to the thigh bone (femur). Tearing or rupturing the ligament can lead to pain, lameness, and difficulty walking. 

While your dog may be genetically prone to hip dysplasia, obesity can exacerbate its effects. Excess weight places more strain on the hip joint, increasing pain and potentially accelerating the development of arthritis.

Obesity can play a significant role in developing and exacerbating Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) in dogs. IVDD is a spinal condition involving the discs between the vertebrae (spine bones). These discs can bulge or herniate, potentially compressing the spinal cord and causing pain, weakness, and even paralysis.

Factors associated with obesity that exacerbate IVDD include low-grade inflammation, muscle weakness, spinal instability, and impaired blood flow. Muscle strength is imperative for maintaining proper alignment of the vertebrae, while fat surrounding the spine can reduce blood flow to the spinal tissues. 

Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) is more common in dog breeds genetically predisposed to the condition due to their body structure and anatomy. IVDD is particularly prevalent in breeds with long bodies and short legs, often referred to as "chondrodystrophic" breeds, including Dachshunds, Pembroke and Cardigan Welsh Corgis, Basset Hounds, French Bulldogs, Shih Tzus, Pekingese, Lhasa Apsos, and Miniature Poodles.

Patellar luxation, also known as a "slipped kneecap," is a condition where the kneecap (patella) moves out of its normal position within the groove of the femur. While obesity does not directly cause a luxating patella, the added weight and decreased mobility of an obese dog can contribute to instability in the knee, making the patella more prone to slipping out of place.

If your dog is obese, the muscles around the knee joint weaken, which can fail to adequately stabilize the patella, increasing the likelihood of luxation. The combination of excess weight and weakened muscles can also lead to abnormal forces acting on the knee joint, which impact the alignment and structure of your dog’s knees. Improper alignment can contribute to the patella not tracking correctly within the groove, allowing it to slip out of place.

Until recently, veterinarians believed that the increased pain and inflammation associated with arthritis in overweight and obese dogs was caused primarily by increased joint wear and tear. 

It is now known that adipose tissue (fat tissue) is biologically active and secretes leptin, a hormone with pro-inflammatory properties. Elevated leptin levels, as seen in obesity, can contribute to systemic inflammation and exacerbate inflammatory conditions like osteoarthritis.

Leptin plays a significant role in regulating appetite, metabolism, and energy balance. It acts as a signal to the brain to communicate the body's energy status. When fat stores increase, leptin levels rise, signaling to the brain that the body has enough energy. This should ideally lead to reduced appetite and increased energy expenditure.

However, when your dog is obese, leptin resistance can develop. Despite high levels of leptin, the brain does not respond appropriately to its signals, leading to a disruption in appetite regulation and an increase in weight.

The combination of leptin resistance, increased appetite, excess weight, and inflammation creates a feedback loop. Obesity can lead to joint pain due to mechanical stress and inflammation, and this joint pain can further reduce physical activity, promoting weight gain and exacerbating the cycle.

The critical underlying message is that fat promotes inflammation, inflammation is a component of the pain associated with arthritis and degenerative joint disease, and being overweight or obese exacerbates this vicious cycle.

Reducing the Risk of Joint Damage with Diet

Switching your dog to a fresh, whole-food diet is a significant first step toward weight management. A Real Ancestral 6X Diet™  provides your dog with a  high protein and fat diet with minimal carbohydrates, which is the key to a good diet for dogs!

Shifting your dog from a diet with roughly 50% carbohydrate content to one with 5% or less will allow her body to utilize fat as its primary energy source. Apart from carbohydrate content, several additional elements contribute to our dog's weight being at a healthy level with fresh food, including:

Improved Digestion: Dogs consume less indigestible or difficult-to-digest food, so they spend less time and energy digesting meals. Raw food takes only 1-2 hours to digest, however kibble can take up to 7-9 hours.

Increased Energy: Because fewer "fillers" can filter out when dogs eat higher-quality food, they have more energy. Their bodies have a healthier energy source, animal fats and proteins, than carbohydrates.

Normal Appetite: Because of the fats found in fresh foods , natural diets promote the production of leptin hormone. Fats contain a lot of energy. Leptin is not synthesized effectively when your dog is on a carb-based diet, resulting in an insatiable appetite.

Joint Supplementation: Whole food supplements like poultry feet, green-lipped mussels, tracheas, and other cartilaginous animal parts will supply your dog with glucosamine, chondroitin, and collagen to support joint health. 

Fur: Studies have shown that many dogs with CCL ruptures are deficient in manganese . Fur and feathers are excellent sources of manganese. You can give your dog furred items such as ears from rabbits, cows, lambs, boars, or rabbit feet as a source of manganese.

By addressing obesity and promoting a healthy lifestyle, you can significantly reduce the risk of joint diseases in dogs and enhance their overall well-being. Maintaining a healthy weight reduces joint stress, especially in overweight dogs.

Low-impact, controlled exercise will strengthen your dog’s muscles and increase the stability of her joints. Swimming and walking are excellent low-impact exercises for your dog, especially as you begin a new weight reduction plan. A dog that has been sedentary will need to ease into an exercise program to avoid injury.

If your dog has been immobile or has sustained an injury due to obesity, you may need to look into physical therapy or rehabilitation. Canine rehabilitation is a specialized treatment that focuses on improving the physical health, mobility, and overall quality of your dog’s life. It involves various therapeutic techniques and exercises designed to address multiple conditions, injuries, and mobility issues. 

Physical therapy helps alleviate pain and discomfort caused by injuries, surgeries, or chronic conditions. The therapeutic exercises and techniques will restore and enhance your dog's mobility. An exercise plan can be established to build and maintain muscle strength, which is crucial for supporting joints.

Physical therapy techniques may include hydrotherapy, therapeutic exercises: massage and manual therapy, electrotherapy (ultrasound, laser therapy, and electrical stimulation), thermal therapies, and assistive devices like braces, splints, or carts to aid mobility.

Obesity causes undue stress on your dog’s joints, leading to pain, immobility, and decreased overall well-being.

Fat cells secret leptin, a pro-inflammatory hormone that helps control your dog’s appetite. However, if your dog is obese, leptin resistance causes an increase in appetite and inflammation throughout your dog’s body.

A weight management program for your dog should include a fresh food diet and controlled exercise to keep your dog’s joints mobile and pain-free.

Adipose Tissue, Obesity and Adiponectin: Role in Endocrine Cancer Risk - PMC 

Adiponectin: More Than Just Another Fat Cell Hormone? | Diabetes Care 

Excess protein enabled dog domestication during severe Ice Age winters | Scientific Reports 

Patellar luxation and concomitant cranial cruciate ligament rupture in dogs - A review  

Randomised double-blind, positive-controlled trial to assess the efficacy of glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate for the treatment of dogs with osteoarthritis  

Joint Health and Obesity

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