Pet obesity is sweeping the nation. Nearly half of dogs in the UK are now considered overweight – more than 6 million in total – costing the UK pet insurance industry over £0.5m a day.
Tragically, studies prove that obesity not only diminishes quality of life but can reduce a dog’s life by two years.
Until now, how much we feed our dogs has involved an element of guesswork. Scoops of food can have up to 15% variance, whilst handfuls or ‘eyeballing’ is even worse. Even those astute pet owners who weigh their dog’s food cannot easily account for their individual dog’s requirements which can easily vary +/- 20% depending on their activity levels, let alone other characteristics.
In by far the largest study of its kind, PitPat collected and analysed data from over 100,000 dogs in the UK to understand the calorific requirement of dogs of all shapes and sizes, and how their activity levels affect this. They found that traditional models of calculating feeding requirements have been limited due to the lack of available data.
In response to these findings, PitPat have introduced their revolutionary new feeding system consisting of a dog activity monitor, app and weighing bowl. The app gives pet parents hyper personalised feeding recommendations for their dog based on measured data from the activity monitor.
Andrew Nowell, CEO at PitPat, commented: “Every dog is an individual and has their own unique personality. For the first time in 30,000 years, pet parents are able to know exactly how much to feed their dog, rather than relying on the generic recommendations on the back of food bags.
“PitPat is on a mission to change the way the nation feeds their dogs. Any dog owner can now get a completely tailored feeding recommendation from our app and easily weigh the correct portion with our innovative dog bowl with integrated scales. That means less time spent decoding tables and more time enjoying life with your dog.”
Myra Forster-van Hijfte, Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons added: “Innovations like PitPat are going to be vital in supporting vets in changing pet owners’ behaviour, ensuring a proactive, informed approach to exercise, feeding and weight management.
“I’m thrilled to see a scientific approach to dog feeding made simple for pet parents.”
Pet technology is becoming increasingly popular, especially amongst new pet parents striving to do the best for their pups. The global pet tech market is expected to hit $20bn by 2027 and grow by 22% annually over this time.
PitPat is the UK market leader, having sold over 100,000 dog activity monitors and recently launching its own range of premium dry food and innovative weighing bowl.
