Sometimes it’s hard to tell if our dogs and cats are overweight. We see them every day, and even if our vet says our Tripawd needs to drop some pounds, it’s hard to wrap our heads around our pet’s weight numbers. Fear not, however, because these Pet-to-Human weight translators give us the reality check we need.
Pet-to-Human Weight Translators Give the Whole Story
When you think “12 pound Yorkie,” you naturally imagine a small dog. But when you crunch the numbers with a pet to human weight translator, you’ll soon learn the hard truth about that “small dog” and other pet weights.
According to The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP),
- A 12 pound Yorkie is the same as 218 pound, 5′ 4″ tall female
- A 14 pound cat is equivalent to a 237 pound, 5′ 9″ man.
- A 105 pound male Golden retriever is equal to a 203 pound 5’ 4” female.
“If I tell a client their female Lab is 20 pounds overweight, that doesn’t sound too bad,” says APOP Founder and President Dr. Ernie Ward. “Owners think ‘It’s a big dog.’ If I tell them it’s the same as them weighing almost 190 pounds, suddenly the lightbulb goes on. ‘My dog is fat.’”
Don’t wait for your veterinarian to have the talk with you. Dr. Ward’s organization has an online pet weight translator and tables of the most common breeds that compare those extra pounds on our pets to the love handles on ourselves that we know too well.
NOTE: Please book an exam with your veterinarian before attempting any weight loss for your Tripawd cat or dog. Weight gain can be caused by any number of things so it’s critical to get a complete physical before deciding to cut back on food and treats.
How They Weighed In
APOP created the APOP Pet-to-Human Weight Translators for Dogs and Cats by using figures for average statures of men and women (5 foot 9 inches and 5 feet 4 inches, respectively). They also utilized the normal range of the human Body Mass Index (BMI), 18.5 to 24.9, and then compared those weights to a dog or cat breed’s normal weight range.
Ward says that, “Our calculations were performed in the most conservative fashion. We used the upper range of ‘normal’ weights for women (145 pounds) and men (169 pounds) as well as the upper weight range for breeds as a starting point for our pet equivalents. When our charts state a 23 pound Shih tzu is equal to a 208 pound female, you can count on it.”
Find Out if Your Tripawd is Overweight
Jump over to the APOP Pet-to-Human Weight Translator and scroll down to locate your dog’s breed type. Feline pet parents click here for a Cat-to-Human Weight Translator worksheet.
Then Do Something About It
Dive into our articles about Pet Obesity and ask the community questions in the Tripawds Eating Healthy Discussion Forum today!
Not Sure If You Have an Overweight Tripawd? Here’s How to Tell.
Shocking Report Shows One in Three Pets are Obese. Here’s What to Do About It.
Tips to Help Your Tripawd Lose Weight
Best Of Weight Loss Tips for Tripawd Cats and Dogs
Casey is below scale for a Golden, and Jet is 0 pounds overweight. I’m sure my other two are also. Now, if only someone would enforce the discipline on me that I inflict on my dogs . . .
Well that’s OK, you deserve a BIG congrats on such a healthy pack! They are such lucky pups to have you.