Your data on MRCVSonline
The nature of the services provided by Vision Media means that we might obtain certain information about you.
Please read our Data Protection and Privacy Policy for details.

In addition, (with your consent) some parts of our website may store a 'cookie' in your browser for the purposes of
functionality or performance monitoring.
Click here to manage your settings.
If you would like to forward this story on to a friend, simply fill in the form below and click send.

Your friend's email:
Your email:
Your name:
 
 
Send Cancel

Health warning about rising obese pet trend on TikTok
The term 'chonky' is a commonly used term on social media which implies that overweight dogs are cute and funny.

Videos of 'chubby' dogs receive millions of views

Research by the homemade dog food platform VetChef has revealed that videos celebrating overweight dogs have been viewed more than 90 million times on the social media platform TikTok.

The study also highlighted how this trend of glorifying overweight pets was prevalent across all major social media platforms. It found that there are one million members or followers of groups centred around overweight dogs on Facebook, Instagram and Reddit alone.

On TikTok the hashtag #fatdog has 72.3 million views, while #chubbyboy has 10 million and #fatdogs has 4.4 million.

The breeds that feature most prominently as part of this trend are pitbulls, French bull dogs, pugs, terriers and beagles. Many of the commonly featured breeds already have hereditary health problems which are likely to be exacerbated by being overweight.

VetChef founder Dr Joe Inglis, who is also well-known for his appearances on Blue Peter, The Wright Stuff and Daybreak, comments: “While it is always a delight to see the joy pets bring, it is worrying that the trend of normalising and glorifying pets that are actually clinically overweight is on the rise.

“The scale of content celebrating overweight dogs on social media is simply breathtaking - with clips hailing so-called ‘chonky’ canines viewed over 90million times on TikTok.

“The unfortunate reality is that overweight pets are likely to have a lower quality of life, as they are more likely to develop serious health conditions such as diabetes, osteoarthritis and cancer.”

Dr Inglis urged pet owners to be responsible in monitoring and managing their dog's weight; feeding them a healthy diet and ensuring they receive adequate daily exercise.

“We’re now calling on all pet owners to avoid celebrating their overweight animals - and instead celebrate them looking fit and healthy.” He concluded.

Become a member or log in to add this story to your CPD history

Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.