Pennsylvania is the fat dog capital of America

Ralphie fell in love with lobster at first bite. Steak, too.

But the pounds started creeping up. And up. In time, Ralphie’s doctor confirmed what his family already knew: At 30% overweight, the time had come for the South Philly bullmastiff to go on a serious doggy diet.

In the Keystone State, Ralphie is far from alone.

Pennsylvania’s dogs are the most overweight in the country, according to a survey conducted by Veterinarians.org, a veterinarian-informed information group on pet issues. The study found that Pennsylvania dogs carry over 18 excess pounds on average.

(A typical New Jersey pup clocked in at 11.43 excess pounds, but less than the national average of 11.83 pounds overweight, the survey found.)

The plumpest breeds, according to owners surveyed nationally, were bulldogs, beagles, pugs, Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, Maltese, and Yorkies.

So what is it about Pennsylvania? It could be something in our state’s eating culture, the authors suggested.

“Perhaps the state dubbed ‘The Snack Food Capital of the World’ ... has also been spoiling its pets with delicious treats, too,” speculated a statement accompanying the survey.

“I’ve definitely heard of splitting cheesesteaks,” said Killian Lenahen, founder of Love City Vet in South Philadelphia.

In the United States, the rate of pet obesity has steadily increased over the last 20 years, reaching 59% of dogs and 61% of cats, according to the most recent study by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention.

Locally, veterinary professionals say they see many obese pets, often with other health problems related to their excess weight. Those conditions include diabetes, orthopedic problems, respiratory disorders, some cancers, and ultimately, a shortened life span.

Matthew Putchat, a veterinary nurse, was inspired to start his first pet weight loss program after the death of a family friend’s 34-pound cat.

“He was 4 years old and had to be euthanized because his joints were falling apart,” Putchat said.

Now a rehab specialist with AnWell Veterinary Rehab & Conditioning Center in Quakertown, Putchat counsels owners on how to help their pets lose weight. One of his tips: Keep a food journal to record everything you feed your pets, much like the food diaries human dieting gurus advocate.

Putchat recalled one widower whose Jack Russell terrier and beagle came in, both seriously overweight.

“The dogs filled in for his company, especially during meals,” Putchat said. “The dogs were right there with him, so they got their dog food, but they also got part of his dinner because he felt that he needed that companionship. I’ve seen a few other widowers and widows over the years with similar challenges.”

Amber Karwacki, a veterinarian in Heart+Paw’s Callowhill office, said one pet parent, a young bachelor, swore he only fed his very overweight pooch two cups of dog food a day.

“I said, ‘That’s not possible. Your dog’s too big for that,’ ” said the vet.

It turned out the owner was feeding his dog two cupfuls a day — two big, red Solo party cups.

A correction was made.

Anyone can err. Heart+Paw CEO Dave Lasus brought his Delco dogs, Pepper, a black Lab, and Noodles, a Boston terrier puppy, to get their checkups from his company’s vets. Both dogs were carrying extra pounds, so Lasus adjusted his dogs’ food and upped their exercise.

“Now I take a walk with them every morning,” said Lasus, of Havertown. “It actually helped me slim down, not just the dogs.”

Ian Griffiths was quick to comply when a vet said his mini pit bull, Rooster, had 10 pounds that had to go. But Rooster seemed pretty confused when the guys at the front desk of their Northern Liberties building weren’t giving him treats anymore, let alone his best buddy Griffiths. So Rooster took matters into his own paws.

“He’s a very tricky boy,” the owner said. “One night I went out and left four boxes of oatmeal on my countertop. I came home to find the boxes on the ground, the cardboard ripped open, and 30 of the 32 packets of oatmeal all eaten.”

Still, veterinarians say pet obesity can be a touchy subject; some owners get defensive.

“It just takes a little bit of time to break down those barriers and get everyone comfortable knowing that we’re just really trying to help with the health of their pet. We’re not here to judge,” said Love City’s Lenahen.

When Billy Polish and Cassie Laudon, a couple from Point Breeze, brought home their beloved Ralphie, he was a gangly, 37-pound, 12-week-old puppy. By the time they took him for his first appointment at Love City several months ago, Ralphie, age 3, was 182 pounds. A healthy weight for a male bullmastiff is about 130.

“He’s obsessed with food,” Laudon said. “He gets very emotional when he’s hungry. He has a very sad, pathetic whine. Puppy eyes.”

They tried to steer clear of human food, but Ralphie did develop a taste for the finer things, like a treat of lobster during a trip to Maine two summers ago, and his own rib eye steak for his first birthday.

“That was a huge mistake because now he had a taste of something other than the boring stuff,” Laudon said.

Then there were the training treats. As Ralphie learned more things, the treats got bigger, and so did Ralphie.

That’s all changed now, although smaller feedings and healthy additions like chopped vegetables in his bowl were initially cause for pause.

“He immediately noticed,” Laudon said.

But Lenahen gave the couple a total calorie count based on Ralphie’s ideal weight, and they’ve been creative in their healthy additions to his weight loss kibble. His treats — like frozen marrow bones and bone broth pup-sicles — are also healthy. Exercise wasn’t a problem — the mastiff and his people already averaged about four miles a day, and he loved doing zoomies on their South Philly roof.

Between all the activity and fewer calories, Ralphie is down to 175 pounds. Even with some blips like Laudon’s mother slipping granddog Ralphie half a turkey sandwich during a holiday visit, the weight loss has pretty much held.

Of course he’s got a ways to go. The goofy gentle giant who is afraid of shoes hanging from telephone wires but wants every dog to play with him has plateaued of late. It happens to dogs, just like people. Lenahen said they’re considering a prescription dog food to get the scale moving again.

“Our No. 1 reason is to keep him alive as long as possible,” Laudon said. “Our vet told us weight is a big factor in longevity. He’s perfect the way he is in our eyes, but when it comes to how long he’s going to be with us, I’d like that to be as long as possible.

“We love him so much.”