Agria Pet Insurance has teamed up with PitPat dog activity monitors to help owners take positive steps towards tackling dog obesity.
The partnership also demonstrates a further commitment to Agria’s ethos of promoting the importance of the owner/pet relationship.
As part of the partnership, every owner that takes out a new Lifetime of Lifetime Plus policy with Agria Pet Insurance will be given a free PitPat activity monitor for their dog.
In a similar way to human activity monitors, PitPat uses the combination of a device, attached to the dog’s collar or harness, and an app, to allow owners to keep track of their dog’s activity and manage their weight.
Simon Wheeler, Managing Director of Agria Pet Insurance, says, ‘What’s particularly compelling about PitPat is the fact that it keeps owners actively involved in their dog’s health. By staying aware of their pet’s weight and the exercise they’re getting, owners can avoid problems caused or exacerbated by inactivity or obesity.
“Crucially, PitPat doesn’t encourage owners to overdo it, either. By recommending the right amount of exercise depending on the breed and age of dog, owners are advised on appropriate exercise, which is of course especially important where young dogs are concerned, as well as when they are slowing down in later life.”
Robin Hargreaves, British Veterinary Association Past President and Vet Lead at Agria says, “As well as being a health risk in its own right, obesity also makes every single other health condition worse. From skin conditions to heart disease and arthritis, furthermore there are the increased risks with any surgery that might be required on an animal that is obese – anything that we can do to help owners keep their pets at a healthy weight is really valuable.”
“Having the awareness of how active your dog is and being reminded to weigh them gives a very beneficial insight. So many later-life problems can be either eliminated or mitigated by getting feeding and exercise right, and to give owners a tool to help with this, especially at the beginning of their pet’s life, is incredibly useful.”
For more information you can visit www.agriapet.co.uk/vets or call 03330 30 8390
