Tails from the Crate – Wikipedia Wormhole
Warning: an opinion is not a fact and vice versa – Is the Wikipedia Page on Pet Obesity a Hidden Ad?
Every now and then, someone throws a bone my way and asks what I think of something “official.” Recently, it was the Wikipedia article on Obesity in Pets. Why? Because apparently, my opinion counts when it comes to overweight dogs—who knew?
But instead of boring you with a full-length article of 1000+ words on how bad things are, I’m going to keep it polite and sniff out the pros, paw at the cons, and uncover what’s really going on behind the shiny citations and sumptuous quotations.
The Pats On The Back, The Treats, And The ‘Atta Boys’
The fact that there is a Wikipedia article at all about obesity in dogs is already progress in a wrapping paper with a ribbon tied around.
Let’s not underestimate the influence of a page like Wikipedia. Recognition is the first step towards change.
Nowadays, the first source of information is at everybody’s fingertips, and getting a seat at the online knowledge table is no small win.
There is a lot of knowledge on the web. However, only objective knowledge applied practically is power.How much power it holds is dependent on the application and the value of the knowledge.
If Wikipedia were a vet school exam, this entry would pass with flying colors. Every word in this article is backed by research. The list of references is very elaborate for an article this size and impressive. One can’t deny it’s scientifically accurate.
The list of consequences is very elaborate and woven throughout the paragraphs, often in repetition, and mainly focused on the pathological side, whereas the behavioral part is very underaddressed.
I also appreciate how the article mentions that body weight alone isn’t a reliable indicator of obesity. The mention of a preference towards the 9-point Body Condition Score (BCS) system and the reference to DEXA scans. For those who take things seriously, these are very valid resources.
Visual assessment and palpation (touching in comprehensive English) are also brought to attention, which are bonus points. It could be more elaborate by describing the musculature factor, but hey, we’ll get to the flaws later.
Also great to find a few words about the impact of spaying and neutering, and the fact that puppies follow a different pattern than dogs in other age categories.
The obvious main cause is thoroughly explained. Obesity is caused by the intake of calories exceeding the requirements.
Even the mention of environment and human habits like limited space and food rewards gets a polite tail wag from me. Though I can’t help but notice they skipped over the charming canines of New York stuck in high-rise condos with barely a terrace. A missed opportunity if you ask me.
And now, the end is near…
Besides not mentioning the Big Apple’s furry friends, the article never really distinguishes between being overweight and obesity. Most obese dogs start by having a slight overweight. Awareness towards preventing this first step could make a significant impact.
The two steps they are indicating to cure the problem are indeed important and valid. First, reducing the overweight and then maintaining that situation are very important. A bit of a simplistic approach, but you’ll have to go to dogbesity.com to get the full picture.
The article is clearly written from a medical perspective and not a holistic approach. Prevention, or the impact of treats, is a matter almost untouched. ‘Treats are threats’ would be a nice slogan to prevent obesity.
The consequences and medicinal responses, as far as mentioning brand names of medication, degrade the value of this article to an infomercial, at best.
The sources represent a near-monopoly of veterinary, pharmaceutical, and pet food industry players. (e.g., Waltham, WSAVA, Veterinary Clinics of North America)
Very few to none of the sources are independent research. Two sources are even disguised as a publicity page for The Pet Obesity Day. A great initiative, strongly abused by pharma, veterinary organizations, and food-producing companies to profile themselves.
Feel free to descend the rabbit hole of which multinationals are behind the 10 most commonly sold brands. But let’s stay on topic, we are talking about dogs, not rabbits.
Final Barks of Wisdom
My last comment on this article is two metaphors.
It’s like asking a cookie company to write about sugar addiction. And you can’t expect an obese dog to run a marathon, but you can always find a way to start walking, as you will see on dogbesity.com.
That said, I want to make it very clear that this is in no way or shape an attack on veterinarians or the knowledge spread by this article. Quite the opposite. I count many of them among my friends, and I also study the sources provided by organizations like WSAVA. But the info in this article is clearly shaped by bigger paws at play.
By now, you already figured it out, this article is a hidden ad for dogbesity.com and especially targeted towards dogs in the greater New York area because you either “go Big Apple or go broke.” #MoreHealthyDogs starts with more honest conversations — and maybe fewer corporate citations.
Sources: yours truly.