Your Dog Could Be Developing the Same Health Conditions as You, New Study Finds

For many years, veterinarians have known that if an owner has a health problem, like obesity, the pets in the household are also likely to suffer from the same problem.

Most vets know this just based on anecdotal evidence, as overweight owners often bring in overweight dogs, clients often mention they’re diabetics too when their dog is diagnosed and many of the people we discuss allergies with mention they also have this problem.

A 2012 article published in Scientific American first described cancer in dogs as potentially related to cancer in humans in the same household.

Why is that? Pets are exposed to the same toxins and carcinogens that we’re exposed to every day, and if there are specific problems in the house that provoke health issues (like smoking or using toxic products to take care of the lawn), then dogs are going to be exposed too.

They’re probably exposed even more, since most of us don’t sniff our lawns and lie out on the grass for hours every day.

Related: Can Dogs Be Allergic to Other Dogs? A Vet Explains

What’s the Obesity Link Between Dogs and Owners?

The Dog Aging Project noticed the health link between dogs and owners again recently when investigating the relationship between obesity in humans and their pets.

Although some breeds (like Labrador Retrievers) are genetically more prone to obesity than other dogs, one of the main factors found in obesity was the owner’s family. People who don’t exercise themselves are less likely to walk their dogs much and are less likely to take them to the park and go for a long hike on the weekend.

What Other Health Problems Can Dogs Share With Their Owners?

Obesity isn’t the only health condition we see that dogs share with their owners. Some of the other health problems that owners frequently have in common with their dogs include:

Allergies

Some households are full of allergens from dust mites and cockroaches. If the residents, human or canine, are prone to allergies, they’re going to suffer more in those households full of allergens.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Recent studies have shown that having a dog in the household doesn’t increase the risk of IBD, but both dogs and humans in the house can develop IBD, as one of the causes of this disease is due to the microbiome. Dogs and humans in the same environment share many bacteria in the microbiome.

Cancer

The frequency of humans and dogs being diagnosed with the same type of cancer is most likely related to exposure to carcinogens in the environment.

Chemicals in lawn care products, cigarette smoke, forever chemicals that are released into the air during cooking with some types of pans and carcinogens in processed food are the most common culprits.

Stress

There are numerous stress-related diseases in dogs, and there are several stress-related clinical signs, like whining, shaking, panting, barking excessively and even chewing and licking on the front legs until the bones are exposed.

Humans may handle stress differently, but we also develop stress-related diseases, like high blood pressure, depression and strokes.

Diabetes

This problem usually develops later in life, mostly among dogs that are obese and have had numerous bouts of pancreatitis from eating fatty meals. Both of those conditions are more common in certain households, and the people in those households may end up with diabetes too for similar reasons.

How Can I Help My Dog?

The best way you can use this information is to prevent the things in your environment that are hurting you from making your dog sick.

If you know that allergies are a problem in your house, get a HEPA filter and keep your windows closed if there’s a high pollen count. If you smoke, stop. If you have Teflon pans, throw them out and buy ceramic. If you pour grease over your dog’s dry dog food, stop and switch to a whole-food diet.

There’s no way you can guarantee that your dog will never get sick. There’s a lot you can do to help, however.

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Related: Are Scented Candles Toxic to Dogs? 3 Potential Dangers

Sources

This story was originally reported by Parade Pets on Aug 31, 2025, where it first appeared in the Dogs section. Add Parade Pets as a Preferred Source by clicking here.