CANINE OBESITY – A MAJOR PROBLEM OF PET DOGS

CANINE OBESITY – A MAJOR PROBLEM OF PET DOGS

Dr. Rashmi Mishra¹, Dr. Pashupathi M²

¹Division of Veterinary Parasitology, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh

²Division of Biochemistry, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh

Obesity is a chronic stigmatized and rapidly growing world-wide problem. It is a non-communicable medical condition and sadly the most common nutritional problem seen in our companion animals today. It is the accumulation of excessive fat in body due to imbalance between the intake and usages of calories, when the intake is higher and the body stores these extra calories as fat. Dogs are considered overweight when their body weight exceeds 10 percent above ideal weight, and, obese when it exceeds 20 percent above ideal weight. According to the last 15 years study, around 15 – 65% of dogs are either overweight or obese. Also, the fat-free mass in obese dogs reduced to 67% as compared to 83% in the healthy dogs. Obese dogs are more likely to suffer from osteoarticular, cardiovascular, respiratory, urogenital, musculoskeletal and skin disorders along with type 2 diabetes mellitus, dystocia, pancreatitis, decreased heat tolerance, reduced immunity, mammary or bladder carcinoma and reduced lifespan. According to studies, lean dogs can survive 1.8 years longer than obese dogs. Also, obese dogs poses greater risks of anaesthetic and surgical complications. Hypothyroidism and hyperadrenocorticism are the endocrine abnormalities associated with obesity.

Signs of canine obesity include abdominal sagging, big round face, reluctance to walk, excessive panting and tiredness. Obesity can be hypertrophic (enlargement of size of fat cell) common in adult dogs or hyperplastic (increase in both size and number of fat cells) common in young pups. Ideally, the angle from dog’s abdomen to their pelvis should be between 30 and 35 degrees, but in obesity it looks like tucks-up. Also in obese dogs, ribs cannot be felt with fingers by palpation, and hourglass-shaped indentation will be present at the bottom of the rib cage. The haematological parameters revealed that the mean values of Hb, PCV, TEC, TLC, neutrophils, cholesterol and triglycerides were significantly higher in obese dogs as compared to apparently healthy dogs whereas non-significant difference with respect to lymphocytes, monocytes and eosinophils.

Techniques to assess the degree of body fat include morphometric measurements, dilutional techniques, bioelectrical impedance analysis, dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, CT-scan, MRI and DEXA scan. Among all, body weight is the simplest and DEXA scan is the accurate technique. Body condition score (BCS) system is a subjective, semi quantitative, inexpensive and non-invasive technique for assessing body fat percentage which is based on visible and palpable features of different body zones. A number of BCS charts are available including 5-point, 7-point and 9-point versions however, the 9-point version is more accurate one.

Canine obesity is due to both animal and owner factors:

Management of canine obesity:

1. The main preventive measure for obesity is controlled exercise and physical rehabilitation. According to studies, taking dog for 30-minute walk, three times per week can reduce blood pressure and body weight. Swimming is also an ideal exercise which enables dog to burn calories and keep their joints healthy.
2. Dogs should be feed with low-energy, high protein, high fibre and high moisture content diet for satisfactory weight loss.
3. HCA (Hydroxycitric acid) which is extracted from Garcinia cambogia fruit has anti-obesity, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, anthelmintic, anticholinesterase and hepatoprotective activities. It exerts its anti-obesity effect by inhibiting fat production, lowers production of cholesterol and fatty acids, increases production of glycogen in the liver and suppressing appetite.
4. Dirlotapide or Mitratapide, a selective microsomal triglyceride transfer protein inhibitor, is licensed for treatment of obesity in dogs.
5. Supplements like isoflavone genistein which is a soy derivative used in weight loss by elevating in T4 concentration and metabolic rate in dogs. L-carnitine supplementation helps to increase weight loss and preserve muscle mass. MCT (medium chain triglycerides) which is present in coconut and palm oil also enhances weight loss by β-oxidation. The oligofructose, modifies the gut microbiota, produces SCFA (short chain fatty acid) that induce satiety-promoting factors and reduce body weight.
6. Diets enriched with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid exerts its effect on adipocytes by decreasing adipokine production.
7. Dogs supplemented with green tea extract for 12 weeks at approximately 80 mg/kg had enhanced insulin sensitivity, decreased triglyceride levels, lipoprotein lipase and adiponectin were higher in both visceral and subcutaneous fat tissue of dogs.

The key to obesity management is prevention. Owners should be instructed- on both how to feed their dog and how to regularly determine pet’s body condition. The importance of optimal body weight control should be reinforced at each annual health examination. Owners should be counselled about the risk factors of obesity and its consequences.

OBESITY IN DOGS: A Major Health Threat in Pet Dogs

Please follow and like us: