Assessing the adequacy of essential nutrient intake in obese dogs undergoing energy restriction for weight loss: a cohort study

Abstract

BackgroundCanine obesity is usually treated with dietary energy restriction, but data are limited regarding nutritional adequacy. The aim of the current study was to compare intake of essential nutrients with National Research Council recommendations in obese dogs during weight management with a purpose-formulated diet.MethodsTwenty-seven dogs were included in this non-randomised retrospective observational cohort study. All were determined to be systemically well, and without significant abnormalities based upon physical examination and clinicopathological assessments. The dogs underwent a controlled weight loss protocol of at least 182 days’ duration using a high protein high fibre weight loss diet. Median, maximum, and minimum daily intakes of all essential nutrients were compared against NRC 2006 recommended allowances (RA) for adult dogs.ResultsMedian weight loss was 28 % (16–40 %), mean daily energy intake was 61 kcal/kg0.75 (44–74 kcal/kg0.75), and no clinical signs of nutrient deficiency were observed in any dog. Based upon the average nutrient content of the diet, daily intake of the majority of essential nutrients was greater than their NRC 2006 recommended allowance (RA per kg body weight0.75), except for selenium, choline, methionine/cysteine, tryptophan, magnesium, and potassium. However, apart from choline (2/27 dogs) and methionine/cysteine (2/27 dogs), all essential nutrients remained above NRC minimum requirements (MR) throughout the trial.ConclusionsWhen fed the diet used in the current study, daily intakes of most essential nutrients meet both their NRC 2006 RA and MR in obese dogs during weight loss. In light of absence of clinical signs of nutrient deficiency, it is unclear what significance intakes less that NRC cut-offs for some nutrients have (especially selenium and choline), and further studies are recommended.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12917-015-0570-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Dietary Aspects of Weight Management in Cats and Dogs

“…Two further in vivo studies showed a lack of clinical signs when participants were fed purpose-formulated weight management diets in a clinical setting. 20,21 These findings cannot be extrapolated to show that all veterinary therapeutic weight loss diets will not cause deficiency, but it suggests that there may be less inherent risk for nutrient deficiency with a purposeformulated diet for weight loss as opposed to feeding less of an adult maintenance diet. The optimal micronutrient profile for weight management is still unknown, although recent American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Weight Management Guidelines recommend consulting a board-certified veterinary nutritionist for cases that require fewer than 60% of resting energy requirements for ideal weight to ensure adequate diet formulation.…”

Avaliação cardiovascular e determinação de fatores ateroscleróticos em cães obesos

“…De acordo com a literatura científica especializada, a taxa média semanal de perda de peso corporal em cães domiciliados e manejados pelos seus proprietários é de em média 0,7%; sendo assim, para a perda de 20% do peso corporal são necessários no mínimo de 6 a 7 meses (CARCIOFI et al, 2005;GERMAN et al, 2007;GERMAN et al, 2009;BRUNETTO, 2010;GERMAN et al, 2015a;GERMAN et al, 2015b, TVARIJONAVICIUTE et al, 2013.…”

“…A duração do programa de perda de peso, assim como a taxa de perda de peso semanal observados foram semelhantes à de outros estudos, que também avaliaram cães de tutores (CARCIOFI et al, 2005;GERMAN et al, 2007;GERMAN et al, 2009;BRUNETTO, 2010;GERMAN et al, 2015a;GERMAN et al,2015b, TVARIJONAVICIUTE et al, 2013 (GERMAN et al, 2007;GERMAN et al, 2015a;TVARIJONAVICIUTE et al, 2013;GERMAN, 2016b). A redução da massa gorda, aliada ao aumento da % de massa magra, é considerada um bom resultado.…”

“…Avaliando o hemograma de cães obesos, Martins et al (2013) O aumento na contagem total leucócitos em cães obesos também já foi relatada por outros autores (GERMAN et al, 2009;GERMAN et al, 2015a;RADAKOVICH et al, 2017). Apenas Radakovich et al (2017) (VEIGA et al, 2008;GERMAN et al, 2009;GERMAN et al, 2015;PIANTEDOSI et al, 2016;RAFAJ et al, 2017), Consultando a literatura, os valores para a concentração de ureia em cães obesos são um pouco variáveis.…”

“…Escala numérica do escore de condição corporal (ECC).Figura 4 -Escala e descrição do escore de massa muscular. relação ao perfil bioquímico dos cães obesos, as concentrações séricas de glicose e das enzimas hepáticas podem estar aumentadas, enquanto que as concentrações de colesterol e triglicérides podem se apresentar com aumento discreto a moderadoLORENZINI;KANAYAMA, 2014;GERMAN et al, 2015a;PIANTEDOSI et al, 2016).…”