Q: I have had cats and dogs for years, and all of them have been spayed or neutered. I’ve noticed that they — and my friends’ sterilized pets — are almost all overweight, whereas friends’ dogs that are not sterilized usually remain slim. Is it true that spayed and neutered pets are heavier than sterilized pets? If so, why?
A: Your observation is accurate, although it doesn’t need to be this way. In the U.S., 60% of cats and 56% of dogs are overweight or obese.
Unfortunately, these conditions predispose pets to disease, diminish quality of life and shorten life span.
Weight increases soon after spay-neuter surgery. Within six months, 21% of cats are overweight, and by two years, so are 52% of dogs….