Who let the dogs in?

The managed lives of pets

For most of history, pets were not completely dependent on their owners. They had some autonomy, spent a lot of time outdoors and were not fed food at home, thus impacting food consumption, nutritional availability, hygiene, activity levels, and even exposure to microbes like bacteria and fungi in soil and water. For pets, life was unpredictable for the most part. Dogs, for example, often foraged or spent long periods outside, interacting with their environment and other animals. This independence affected their daily routines, health, and exposure to natural microbial communities.

^{On today’s menu: patience, scheduled by humans.}

However, modern pets live very differently. Their lives are heavily regulated by humans. They always receive food (and even treats), their activity levels often depends on the routine of their humans, living spaces are temperature-controlled, outdoor exposure is limited and supervised, social interactions with other animals are structured, and even daily tasks, such as when to wake, rest, or play, are influenced by household schedules (this holds more truth in case of dogs, as some cat owners allow them to freely roam outside).

When humans shape how pets eat, move, rest, and live, they also influence how their bodies function. That influence can affect health in both positive and negative ways.

On the one hand, pets benefit from better care, protection from disease, fewer aggressive encounters, and longer lifespans. On the other hand, highly managed lifestyles can also contribute to serious health challenges and a decline in overall well-being.

Let us now take a look at what kinds of health challenges are emerging in modern pets, and how they have changed over time.

Health challenges of living the good pet life

One of the paradoxes of modern living is that the same comforts and protections that improve survival can also introduce new health challenges. Among humans, one of the most visible consequences of highly regulated, sedentary (inactive) lifestyles is obesity and its associated health risks, including heart diseases and diabetes. Veterinary organizations around the world are increasingly recognizing obesity as a major health concern in pets.

^{All the treats, all the naps—modern pets pay the price in pounds.}

In 2018, the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention released the Global Pet Obesity Initiative Position Statement, formally classifying pet obesity as a disease and introducing standardized body condition scoring⁷. The statement was supported by 25 of the world’s largest veterinary medical organizations. Even though obesity in pets may feel like a very recent concern, veterinarians were already raising alarms decades ago, at a time when pets were far less integrated into everyday family life than they are today.

As early as the mid-20th century, researchers were documenting that overweight dogs were becoming more common, particularly in urban households. One publication from 1970⁸ noted that obesity in pet dogs was not a new phenomenon, and described it as closely linked to modern living, especially in animals kept as household companions rather than working dogs. It identified several associated factors, including pets living in smaller spaces, with abundant food and limited opportunities for exercise.

What is striking is how familiar this sounds today. Large-scale veterinary studies now show that excess body weight is common across much of the adult life of pets. For example, in the United States, recent estimates suggest that roughly 59 percent of pet dogs and 61 percent of pet cats are now overweight or obese⁹ — a scale that has led many veterinarians to describe excess weight as one of the most significant health and welfare challenges facing companion animals today. Perhaps even more concerning is that animals who gain excess weight early in life tend to carry it with them into adulthood¹⁰.

And importantly, this is not limited to one species. Similar patterns are being reported across dogs, cats, and even horses¹¹, indicating how living alongside humans impacts animals generally.

Obesity is one of the most visible and measurable outcomes of modern living, but it is not the only way changing lifestyles affect pet health. Research shows that obesity in pets is associated with a wide range of health problems like orthopedic issues, diabetes, urinary problems, and a higher risk of decreased longevity¹².

This is where the challenge becomes clear. Modern pets are not returning to the lifestyles of their ancestors. They are not going back to roaming landscapes, hunting for food, or regulating their own activity patterns. They live with us, share our homes, and follow routines shaped by human life.

So the question is no longer whether modern living affects pet health. The question is how we support their well-being within the lives they now live. And that brings us to the final part of this journey — nutritional food for a healthy living.

^{Halfway there —getting closer to food that supports the modern indoor life.}

Food that supports managed indoor lives of pets

In modern times, as we hold an ever firmer grip over how our pets live, two factors remain most clearly in our hands: activity and nutrition.

Regular movement helps maintain balance in the body, supports mobility, and keeps energy systems working as they should. But the food we feed them plays an equally important, if not more, constant and intimate role. Feeding pets today is more than just preventing hunger. It is also about supporting bodies that live in carefully managed environments and routines.

In many ways, modern pet nutrition has begun to resemble modern human nutrition. The focus is shifting from simply providing sustenance to supporting overall health, resilience, and daily comfort. This shift has led scientists and pet food manufacturers to look more closely at how food functions inside the body.

One approach gaining increasing attention is the inclusion of beneficial microbes, commonly known as probiotics, in pet food. These microbes can help support digestive balance and contribute to overall well-being.

However, incorporating living microbes into food presents its own challenges. They must survive manufacturing, remain stable during storage, and still be active when the pet finally eats the meal. At the same time, the food itself must remain appealing. Even the most carefully formulated diet cannot support health if the animal refuses to eat it.

This is where advances in biosolutions are beginning to reshape what is possible. Biosolutions are helping pet food producers incorporate beneficial bacteria that remain stable throughout a product’s shelf life. At the same time, specialized enzymes are being used to improve how food is experienced — enhancing taste, texture, and digestibility so that pets eat willingly and consistently.

Supporting pet health today means more than providing comfort and companionship. It means providing nourishment that truly supports the way they live, and how biosolutions make this possible is a story worth exploring in its own right – read on in part two.