The impact of time of neutering on weight gain and energy intake in female kittens

Allaway, David; Gilham, Matthew; Colyer, Alison; Morris, Penelope J.

doi:10.1017/jns.2017.20

Cited by 12 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 19 publications

(23 reference statements)

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“…Previous editorials have signposted to resources and evidence 13 45. This includes evidence around a lack of osteoporotic risks due to delayed physeal closure,51 weight gain,49 52 urinary tract problems29 34 or behaviour problems30 31 49 for cats neutered prepubertally compared with a traditional age. Additionally, evidence suggests neutering prior to 6 months greatly reduces the risk of mammary tumours 53.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contrasting practices and opinions of UK‐based veterinary surgeons around neutering cats at four months old

McDonald

Clements

2020

Veterinary Record

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BackgroundMany cats in the UK are not neutered before reaching potential breeding age. The purpose of this investigation was to understand the prevalence of veterinarians’ behaviours around neutering cats at four months of age and to identify any needs of the veterinary profession on this.MethodsA sample of 483 veterinarians that completed a cross-sectional online questionnaire were included in quantitative and qualitative analyses.ResultsAlmost 70 per cent of veterinarians indicated they were comfortable carrying out neutering on cats of four months of age, and approximately half of veterinarians indicated they would recommend neutering client-owned cats at four months of age if practice policy permitted. There was no association found between these practices and geographic risk factors. Instead, neutering at four months was associated with the gender of the veterinarian, their practice policy and whether they routinely neuter unowned cats. Veterinarians have contrasting beliefs on similar themes, depending on whether they neuter kittens at four months or not, including differing opinions on general anaesthetic, surgery risks, owner compliance and their perceptions of neutering practices within the wider profession.ConclusionFamiliarity and experience with the procedure, alongside perceived norms, are central to beliefs. We also highlight informational and learning barriers.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contrasting practices and opinions of UK‐based veterinary surgeons around neutering cats at four months old

McDonald

Clements

2020

Veterinary Record

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“…Two equations are proposed (1) to estimate energy requirements of cats: one for non-obese and another for obese animals. However, several other factors besides body composition may interfere with the energy expenditure (EE) of felines (2) . Male cats, for example, tend to be heavier, with more lean and less fatty mass than females, and may present higher EE (3)(4)(5) .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Validation of saliva and urine use and sampling time on the doubly labelled water method to measure energy expenditure, body composition and water turnover in male and female cats

et al. 2020

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Less invasive protocols are necessary to study energy expenditure (EE) of cats living in homes for expressing their normal living conditions. The present study compared sampling times and the use of saliva, urine and blood to measure 2H and 18O to apply the doubly labelled water method. In the first study, four cats were used to evaluate the enrichment (2, 4, 6, 7 and 8 h) and elimination (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 d) of 2H and 18O (subcutaneously injected). The maximum enrichment was after 5 h (R2 0·82) of injection, with an Ln linear elimination of both isotopes (P < 0·001; R2 0·99). The results of EE were similar, regardless of the sampling time used (P = 0·999). In the second study, seven male cats and seven female cats were used. Before and after isotope injection (5 h, 7 d, 10 d and 14 d), blood, saliva and urine were collected. Isotope enrichment was lower in urine (P < 0·05) and at the similar level in blood and saliva. Isotope elimination was similar for all fluids (P < 0·473). The EE calculated with blood and saliva was similar but higher for urine (P = 0·015). According to Bland–Altman statistics, blood and saliva presented low bias and high correlation (P < 0·001), but this was not observed for urine (P = 0·096). Higher EE was observed for male cats (384 (se 39) kJ/kg0·67 per d) than for female cats (337 (se 34) kJ/kg0·67 per d; P < 0·05). The sampling time for the method is flexible, and saliva can be used as a substitute for blood.

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“…Gonadectomy has been shown to reduce the metabolic rate of cats, thus increasing the risk of obesity. However, long‐term studies have not found a correlation between the age at neutering and subsequent susceptibility to obesity (Spain and others 2004, Allaway and others 2017). It is not possible to ascertain the exact effect of neutering on obesity due to the multitude of factors which may influence an animal's propensity to become obese (ie, diet, exercise and genetics).…”

Section: Risks and Disadvantages Of Neuteringmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prepubertal neutering in cats and dogs

Yates¹,

Leedham²

2019

In Practice

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Background: Neutering cats and dogs is the most common elective procedure undertaken in small animal practice. Neutering is often at the request of an owner but may be carried out on unowned animals as a policy decision in a charity practice, or as a life-saving intervention in cases such as testicular torsion or pyometra. Considerations influencing the decision to neuter include owner, animal and veterinary factors.Aim of the article: Here, we consider the timing of the procedure, the risks and benefits and technicalities of performing prepubertal gonadectomy in the dog and cat. Traditionally, cats and dogs are neutered from six months old; in contrast, prepubertal neutering is defined as ovariectomy/ovariohysterectomy or castration at six to 16 weeks of age in both species. It should be noted that large dog breeds may not reach puberty for many months after this period.

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The impact of time of neutering on weight gain and energy intake in female kittens

Cited by 12 publications

References 19 publications

Contrasting practices and opinions of UK‐based veterinary surgeons around neutering cats at four months old

Contrasting practices and opinions of UK‐based veterinary surgeons around neutering cats at four months old

Validation of saliva and urine use and sampling time on the doubly labelled water method to measure energy expenditure, body composition and water turnover in male and female cats

Prepubertal neutering in cats and dogs

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