Feline obesity is a highly prevalent disease that poses an urgent and serious challenge. Attempted treatment by weight reduction is often unsuccessful; a new preventative approach that focuses on the role of the owner may be helpful. This study used data collected from an international survey of cat owners designed to assess owner personality and self-control, owner-pet attachment, feeding practices, and the cat's body condition. Owner-reported body condition scores (BCS) of cats were assessed using images adapted from a 5-point BCS system and categorized as a binary dependent variable: overweight/obese (BCS 4–5) and not overweight (BCS 1–3). Owner-reported BCS scores using a verbal BCS scale were also used as a binary dependent variable. Of the 6,835 respondents, 30.5% described their cat as overweight/obese using the visual BCS scale, and 32.5% using the verbal scale. Multivariable logistic regression models were built using stepwise-backward selection. A total of 8 variables were significant using the visual score as the dependent variable, while 11 variables were significant using the verbal score as the dependent variable ( p < 0.05). Low owner conscientiousness was associated with an increased risk of feline overweight/obesity (OR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.10–1.38), whereas preference for delayed reward was associated with a decreased risk (OR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.75–0.96). Contrary to expectation, indulgent (OR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.53–0.91) and inconsistent (OR = 0.86, 95% CI 0.76–0.93) feeding practices appeared protective. Other significant variables ( p < 0.05) included cat-related factors (age, gender, housing, source) and management-related factors (dry diet, supermarket dry diet, raw diet, stealing, hunting, and measuring food with a scoop). A third multivariable analysis was performed, using results from cats classified as overweight/obese using both scoring methods, compared with cats classified as a healthy weight using both scoring methods. A total of 10 variables were found to be significant ( p < 0.05). There was significant overlap of results from all three analyses. The results of this study indicate that feline obesity is a complex problem, with many contributing risk factors. It is essential to recognize the importance of owner characteristics, and that the prevention of obesity in cats may require the development of a range of interventional strategies.

BackgroundPet owners have many feeding options, some may be considered unconventional by veterinary practitioners. Provision of appropriate nutrition is a basic requirement, with adverse health outcomes possible when a pet diet is inadequate.ObjectiveTo capture dog and cat feeding practices, with a special focus on countries with large English-speaking populations, and to compare with data published over the previous 10 years.MethodsAn electronic questionnaire was provided for dog and cat owners online. Responses were analysed using descriptive statistics, and comparisons made with data from nine peer-reviewed articles published over the previous 10 years.ResultsResponses from 3673 English-speaking dog and cat owners in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA were included. In previous publications, conventional (commercial, heat-processed) products were the predominant method of feeding. In recent publications, feeding unconventional (raw, homemade, vegetarian) diets appeared more prevalent. In the present study, most (79 per cent dogs, 90 per cent cats) pets were offered conventional food. However a few (13 per cent dogs, 32 per cent cats) pets were fed conventional foods exclusively. Many pets were offered homemade (64 per cent dogs, 46 per cent cats) and/or raw (66 per cent dogs, 53 per cent cats) foods. Different feeding practices were associated with geographical location.ConclusionAs an increased risk of nutrient insufficiency and associated conditions have been attributed to unconventional feeding practices, veterinarians must be aware of pet feeding trends and educate clients about the nutritional needs of companion animals.

Commercial diets high in animal protein and fat are increasingly being developed for pets, however little is understood about the impacts of feeding such diets to domestic cats. The carbohydrate content of these diets is typically low, and dietary fibre is often not included. Dietary fibre is believed to be important in the feline gastrointestinal tract, promoting stool formation and providing a substrate for the hindgut microbiome. Therefore, we aimed to determine the effects of adding plant-based dietary fibre to a high animal protein and fat diet. Twelve domestic short hair cats were fed three complete and balanced diets in a cross-over design for blocks of 21 days: raw meat (Raw), raw meat plus fibre (2%, ‘as is’ inclusion of inulin and cellulose; Raw+Fibre) and a commercially available Kibble diet. A commercially available canned diet was fed for 21 days as a washout phase. Apparent macronutrient digestibility, faecal output, score, pH, organic acid concentrations and bacteriome profiles were determined. Diet significantly affected all faecal parameters measured. The addition of dietary fibre to the raw meat diet was found to reduce apparent macronutrient digestibility, increase faecal output, pH and score. Thirty one bacterial taxa were significantly affected by diet. Prevotella was found to dominate in the Kibble diet, Clostridium and Fusobacterium in the Raw diet, and Prevotella and a group of unclassified Peptostreptococcaceae in the Raw+Fibre diet. Our results show that diets of different macronutrient proportions can strongly influence the faecal microbiome composition and metabolism, as shown by altered organic acid concentrations and faecal pH, in the domestic cat. The addition of 2% of each fibre to the Raw diet shifted faecal parameters closer to those produced by feeding a Kibble diet. These results provide a basis for further research assessing raw red meat diets to domestic cats.

Aims:To determine the seroprevalence of canine respiratory coronavirus (CRCoV) in New Zealand dogs, and to explore associations with age, sex, breed, month, and geographical region of sampling and reported presence of clinical signs suggestive of respiratory disease. Methods: A total of 1,015 canine serum samples were randomly selected from submissions to a diagnostic laboratory between March and December 2014, and were analysed for CRCoV antibodies using a competitive ELISA. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine associations between seroprevalence of CRCoV and breed category, age, sex, sampling month, region, and reported health status of dogs. Results: Overall, 538/1,015 (53.0%) samples were seropositive for CRCoV, with 492/921 (53.4%) positive dogs in the North Island and 46/94 (49%) in the South Island. Age of dog, sampling month, region, and presence of abnormal respiratory signs were included in the initial logistic regression model. Seroprevalence was higher in dogs aged ≥3 compared with ≤2 years (p < 0.01). The lowest seroprevalence was observed in July (30/105; 28.5%) and August (32/100; 32%), and the highest in June (74/100; 74%). Seroprevalence in dogs from Auckland was higher than in dogs from the Hawkes Bay, Manawatu, Marlborough, and Waikato regions (p < 0.05). Abnormal respiratory signs (coughing, nasal discharge, or sneezing) were reported for 28/1,015 (2.8%) dogs sampled. Seroprevalence for CRCoV tended to be higher among dogs with respiratory signs (67.9 (95% CI = 47.6-83.4)%) than dogs with no reported respiratory signs (52.6 (95% CI = 49.5-55.7)%). Conclusions: Serological evidence of infection with CRCoV was present in more than half of the dogs tested from throughout New Zealand. Differences in CRCoV seroprevalence between regions and lack of seasonal pattern indicate that factors other than external temperatures may be important in the epidemiology of CRCoV in New Zealand. Clinical relevance: Our data suggest that CRCoV should be included in investigations of cases of infectious canine tracheobronchitis, particularly if these occur among dogs vaccinated with current vaccines, which do not include CRCoV antigens.

Careful assessment of nutritional needs of dogs and cats must be taken into consideration in order to maintain optimum health, be part of a treatment regimen for a diseased state, or to maximise the quality of life in all animals. Therefore, the goal of these WSAVA Guidelines is that a nutritional assessment and specific nutritional recommendation be made on every patient on every visit. This will become known as the 5th Vital Assessment (5VA), following the four vital assessments of temperature, pulse, respiration and pain that are already addressed on each patient interaction. Routinely doing a brief screening evaluation of the nutritional status during history taking and the physical examination can be seamlessly performed as part of every patient exam. Nutrition-related risk factors that can be easily identified from the history and physical examination include age (growing or old), suboptimal body condition score (overweight or thin), muscle loss, atypical or homemade diet, medical conditions, or changes in appetite. An extended evaluation would follow, if one or more risk factors is identified on screening. These guidelines provide criteria to evaluate the animal and the diet, as well as key feeding and environmental factors. In addition, recommendations for interpretation, analysis, and action are included so that a plan for optimising the animal's nutritional status can be instituted. Client compliance with nutritional recommendations requires input from the veterinarian, veterinary technicians/nurses, and the hospital staff. A team approach to continuous nutritional education, implementation of appropriate protocols, and focused client communication, utilising these WSAVA Nutritional Guidelines, are key components to reach this 5VA goal

Background Working farm dogs are invaluable on New Zealand sheep and beef farms. To date no study describing farm dog population and health has included information about incidence of illness and injury, or risk factors affecting health and career duration. This paper describes the methodology and initial results from TeamMate, a longitudinal study that was designed to address this gap. We describe the study population, husbandry practices, and prevalence of clinical abnormalities on enrolment. Methods Data about the farms, owners, husbandry practices and dogs were collected on farm at approximately 6-month intervals. All dogs over 18 months old and in full work were enrolled. Dogs were given physical examinations by veterinarians. On examination all abnormalities were noted, regardless of clinical significance. Results Six hundred forty-one working farm dogs and 126 owners were enrolled from the South Island of New Zealand. Forty-nine percent of dogs were Heading dogs (314 of 641) and 48% Huntaways (308 of 641). Median age of dogs was four years (range 1.5 – 14) and median body condition score (BCS) was four on a 9-point scale (interquartile range (IQR) 3 – 5). Fifty-four percent of dogs were male (345 of 641), and 6% (41 of 641) were neutered. Eighty-one percent of owners (102 of 126) fed dogs commercial biscuits and meat sourced on farm. Forty-four percent of dogs (279 of 641) had bedding in their kennel, 14% (55 of 393) had insulated kennels, 69% (442 of 641) had been vaccinated and 33% (213 of 641) were insured. Clinical abnormalities were found in 74% of dogs (475 of 641). Common abnormalities involved the musculoskeletal system (43%, 273 of 641), skin (including scars and callouses; 42%, 272 of 641), and oral cavity (including worn and broken teeth; 35%, 227 of 641). Conclusions Our results expand on those from previous surveys and indicate that musculoskeletal illness and injury, and skin trauma are the most commonly seen clinical abnormalities in working farm dogs. These results will provide a baseline for investigation of incidence and risk factors for illness, injury, retirement and death in New Zealand working farm dogs.

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