Free community walk and pet weight check in Kilkenny

Hundreds of pet parents and four legged friends are expected to take part in Petmania’s Operation TransPAWmation community dog walk in Kilkenny.

The free event will take place on Saturday, March 14 starting at Petmania in Kilkenny Retail Park at 11am, and early arrival is advised. Petmania’s experts will be on hand on the day providing free weight checks and body condition score checks for every dog that takes part along with tips and advice on how to form healthier habits for your pet.

Petmania is urging pet parents of dogs and cats to understand the health impacts linked to being overweight. Some 60% of dogs now classified as obese which can lead to devastating health complications like arthritis, cardio respiratory problems and ligament rupture. It significantly reduces a pet’s life expectancy and their wellbeing.

These troubling figures prompted Petmania to conduct its own survey into the health and lifestyle habits of Irish pet owners throughout December and January. 

Petmania Ireland’s Pet Health & Lifestyle Survey revealed 

1. 43% have not weighed their dog in the last three months, 53 per cent of cat owners have not weighed their cat in the same period. 30 per cent are unsure when their cat was last weighed, if at all. A further eight per cent said they have never checked their dog’s weight. 
2. Less than half (46%) of the respondents knew what an ideal ‘Body Condition Score’ for their pet should be. 
3. 28% do not measure their dog’s meals and choose to free pour / 63 percent free pour their cat’s food. 
4. 36% give treats because their cat begged /  39per cent give dog treats two or more times each day. 
5. 18% of respondents said their dog gets less than 30 minutes of exercise each day whilst pet owners observed that their cat spent most of their day sleeping and four per cent of dog-owners admit that their dog gets no exercise. 
    

What of pets lifestyle and wellbeing? The survey shows 

1. 58% of dogs spend three-plus hours alone each day, while for cats this figure is 91 per cent
2. 28% of dogs and 17per cent of cats share their owner’s bed
3. 75% of dogs and 91% of cats have been neutered
    

The free community walk and pet weight check will take place on Saturday, March 14, starting at Petmania in Kilkenny Retail Park at 11am. Early arrival is advised.

Operation TransPAWmation is currently running in Petmania until the end of March. Each dog that takes part will receive a booklet with top-tips on preventing obesity and forming healthier habits. They will also go into Petmania’s draw to win a hamper of goodies. For more information or to see the full survey results visit www.petmania.ie.