New study using Banfield data found sterilization status and age are associated with variable risk of overweight or obese outcomes in 15 dog breeds

A new, collaborative study from clinician scientists across Banfield and Mars Veterinary Health, along with a multidisciplinary team convened by Alliance for Contraception in Cats & Dogs (ACC&D), reveals substantial breed variation in underlying rates of overweight and obesity among intact dogs as well as how surgical timing and proactive weight management can be important considerations for at-risk dogs.

The comprehensive study spanned six years and leveraged anonymized data from over 100,000 dogs seen at Banfield, across 15 dog breeds, to uncover new insights on the topic. The analysis considered the five most recorded large breeds (26,369 dogs) and the 10 most recorded toy/small breeds (90,002 dogs). Results show that intact Pugs, Golden Retrievers, and Labrador Retrievers had the highest underlying susceptibility to overweight or obese (OvOb) outcomes. Among toy/small breeds, gonadectomy at three or six months (prepubertal) had relative risks lower than gonadectomy at one year or older. For large dogs, OvOb outcomes associated with prepubertal gonadectomy varied by breed.

Read more about this study and how Banfield and Mars Veterinary Health are committed to advancing veterinary science through research and innovation here: https://marsveterinary.com/new-research-individualized-sterilization-guidance/.