Understanding Pet Obesity Trends In Michigan's Dogs And Cats – 103.3 WKFR

It looked like Michiganders loved their pets a little too much, according to previous studies. Did the humans of Michigan stop spoiling their pets with too many treats?
Michigan ranked surprisingly high in a previous study comparing the numbers of overweight dogs and cats by state. In fact, the Midwest was full of chunky pets. Before we dive into the latest numbers, let's take a look at the previous rankings.Before the pandemic, the Banfield Pet Hospital research team analyzed data from more than 2.5 million dogs and half a million cats across their hospitals.
The rankings below are based on the percentage of dogs considered overweight. Michigan's dog population is estimated at 34,166. A whopping 38% of them were big, adorable nuggets. The U.S. average is 31%.
A more recent survey was published by Total Vet. This survey had far fewer people/pets surveyed, 2,430. This survey looks much better for both Michigan and Indiana.
Michigan dogs averaged 12.78 pounds overweight. That places Michigan at number 12. Dogs in Indiana averaged about 11.5 pounds overweight.
