Association between life span and body condition in neutered client‐owned dogs

Salt, Carina; Morris, Penelope J.; Wilson, Derek; Lund, Elizabeth M.; German, Alexander J.

doi:10.1111/jvim.15367

Cited by 72 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Canine obesity is a serious metabolic disease that affects the quality of life and decreases life span (Salt et al, 2019;German et al, 2012). The prevalence of obesity has been increasing in the past years in small animals (Courcier et al, 2010), and it is a major healthcare problem in veterinary practice (Chandler et al, 2017;German, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fecal microbiota in client-owned obese dogs changes after weight loss with a high-fiber-high-protein diet

Sanchez

Pilla

Sarawichitr

et al. 2020

PeerJ

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Background The fecal microbiota from obese individuals can induce obesity in animal models. In addition, studies in humans, animal models and dogs have revealed that the fecal microbiota of subjects with obesity is different from that of lean subjects and changes after weight loss. However, the impact of weight loss on the fecal microbiota in dogs with obesity has not been fully characterized. Methods In this study, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to investigate the differences in the fecal microbiota of 20 pet dogs with obesity that underwent a weight loss program. The endpoint of the weight loss program was individually tailored to the ideal body weight of each dog. In addition, we evaluated the qPCR based Dysbiosis Index before and after weight loss. Results After weight loss, the fecal microbiota structure of dogs with obesity changed significantly (weightedANOSIM; p = 0.016, R = 0.073), showing an increase in bacterial richness (p = 0.007), evenness (p = 0.007) and the number of bacterial species (p = 0.007). The fecal microbiota composition of obese dogs after weight loss was characterized by a decrease in Firmicutes (92.3% to 78.2%, q = 0.001), and increase in Bacteroidetes (1.4% to 10.1%, q = 0.002) and Fusobacteria (1.6% to 6.2%, q = 0.040). The qPCR results revealed an overall decrease in the Dysbiosis Index, driven mostly due to a significant decrease in E. coli (p = 0.030), and increase in Fusobacterium spp. (p = 0.017). Conclusion The changes observed in the fecal microbiota of dogs with obesity after weight loss with a weight loss diet rich in fiber and protein were in agreement with previous studies in humans, that reported an increase of bacterial biodiversity and a decrease of the ratio Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fecal microbiota in client-owned obese dogs changes after weight loss with a high-fiber-high-protein diet

Sanchez

Pilla

Sarawichitr

et al. 2020

PeerJ

Self Cite

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“…Overweightness and obesity are major health concerns in both humans and companion dogs. Weight issues have been associated with myriad negative health conditions as well as decreased life span (1,2). In the largest study to date, the prevalence of veterinarian-assessed overweightness and obesity of dogs in the United States has been reported to be 34% and 5% respectively (3).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk factors associated with canine overweightness and obesity in an owner-reported survey

Perry

Shmalberg

Tanprasertsuk

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Background: Overweightness and obesity in dogs are associated with negative health outcomes. A better understanding of risk factors associated with canine weight is fundamental to identifying preventative interventions and treatments. In this cross-sectional study, we used a direct to consumer approach to collect body condition scores (BCS), as well as demographic, diet, and lifestyle data on 4,446 dogs. BCS was assessed by owners using a 9-point system and categorized as ideal (BCS 4-5), overweight (BCS 6), and obese (BCS 7+). Following univariate analyses, a stepwise procedure was used to select variables which were included in multivariate logistic regression models. One model was created to compare ideal to all overweight and obese dogs, and another was created to compare ideal to obese dogs only. We then used Elastic Net selection and XGBoost variable importance measures to validate these results. Results: Overall, 1,480 (33%) of dogs were reported to be overweight or obese, of which 356 (8% total) of dogs were reported to be obese. Seven factors were significantly associated with both overweightness/obesity and obesity alone in all three analyses (stepwise, Elastic Net, and XGBoost): diet composition, probiotic supplementation, treat quantity, exercise, age, food motivation level, and pet appetite. Neutering was also associated with overweightness/obesity in all analyses. Conclusions: This study recapitulated established risk factors associated with BCS (age, exercise, neutering). Moreover, we elucidated associations between previously examined risk factors and BCS (diet composition, treat consumption, and temperament) and identified a novel factor (probiotic supplementation). Specifically, relative to dogs on fresh food diets, BCS was higher in dogs eating dry food both alone and in combination with other foods. Furthermore, dogs receiving probiotics, but not other forms of supplementation, were more likely to have an ideal BCS. Future studies should corroborate these findings with experimental manipulations.

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“…More than 1 : Cats were considered purebred if they were registered with the Australian Cat Federation. 2 : Sex was regarded as missing if the owners were not sure about the sex of the cat. 3 : Neuter status was not included as an explanatory variable because all the intact cats had ideal weight.…”

Section: Descriptive Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The tabulated body condition score (BCS) evaluations and weighted kappa between different owner-reported BCS based on data collected by an Australian-based online survey in 2016 (n = 1,390). Figure 2 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 : Owner-perceived BCS of their cats 2 : BCS that owners determined by selecting a picture of a cat that was most similar to the shape of their cats 3 : Owner-reported BCS determined by veterinarians in the previous year 4 : Grouped BCS using the data from the Cat Owner Club website (https://www.catownerclub.com/cat-breeds).…”

Section: Risk Factors For Feline Overweight and Obesity And Underweightmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Positive attitudes towards feline obesity are strongly associated with ownership of obese cats

et al. 2020

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Overweight and obesity (O&O) is a risk factor for several health conditions and can result in a shorter lifespan for cats. The objectives of this study were to investigate (a) cat owners' attitudes towards feline O&O and their associations with O&O in their cats; and (b) the risk factors for feline O&O and underweight, particularly those involving owner practice. An online survey comprising questions related to cat owners' attitudes towards feline O&O, owner-reported body weight and body condition of their cat, and potential risk factors for feline O&O was conducted. Primarily targeting the Australian population, the survey attracted 1,390 valid responses. In response to ten attitude-related questions, more participants (percentage range among the ten questions: 39.1-76.6%) held a disapproving attitude towards feline O&O than a neutral (17.1-31.9%) or approving attitude (3.9-27.7%). A greater proportion of participants had a more disapproving attitude towards obesity than towards overweight. Cats belonging to owners with an approving attitude towards O&O were more likely to be overweight or obese than cats belonging to owners with a disapproving attitude towards O&O. The cats had particularly high odds of overweight or obesity if their owner agreed that 'being chubby says that the cat has a quality life' (OR: 3.75, 95% CI: 2.41-5.82) and 'being fat says that the cat has a quality life' (OR: 4.98, 95%CI: 2.79-8.91). This study revealed, for the first time, that begging for food was a risk factor for O&O in cats. Other important feline risk factors for O&O identified included being middle-aged, being mixed-breed, dry food as the major diet, the amount of feed not being quantified, and frequently spending time indoors. Being over 11 years, receiving no dry food and receiving measured amounts of feed were associated with an increased odds of underweight in cats. As specific attitudes often lead to certain behaviours, reducing approving attitudes towards feline O&O may potentially reduce the frequency of O&O and the risks of O&O-related disorders in cats.

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Association between life span and body condition in neutered client‐owned dogs

Cited by 72 publications

References 35 publications

Fecal microbiota in client-owned obese dogs changes after weight loss with a high-fiber-high-protein diet

Fecal microbiota in client-owned obese dogs changes after weight loss with a high-fiber-high-protein diet

Risk factors associated with canine overweightness and obesity in an owner-reported survey

Positive attitudes towards feline obesity are strongly associated with ownership of obese cats

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