VN April 2021

Vetnews | April 2021 29 Obesity is a clinical syndrome that refers to the excess accumulation of body fat. It is considered to be the most common form of malnutrition in small animal practice. Obesity arises when calorie intake exceeds energy expenditure for a significant period of time and this excess energy gets stored as fat. Energy intake should be balanced with energy usage, depending on exercise, lifestyle and breed. Certain breeds like the beagle have less energy expenditure than others, while Great Danes and Sphynx’s have higher energy needs. Obesity is characterised by an expansion of white adipose tissue mass, which is different depending on the age of the pet. In young puppies and kittens it is the number of adipocytes that increase, while in adult animals it is the size of the adipocytes that increases. This is why early obesity is even more challenging and important to manage than obesity in adults. As you know obesity has many consequences to the health of your patient 1 . This is due to two main mechanisms: The mechanical and physical effects, as well as the endocrine effects. The mechanical and physical effects : Increase in bodyweight exacerbates orthopaedic disease, makes grooming difficult 2 , and constricts upper airways just to name a few. A study published in 2010 has shown that even a 6% reduction in body weight can cause a significant decrease in lameness 3 . Anaesthetic risk is reportedly increased in obese dogs, these patients have decreased respiratory capacity due to fat deposits in the chest cavity, and they are also predisposed to prolonged recovery times due to accumulation of fat-soluble anaesthetic agents throughout the body fat, not to mention catheter placement and prolonged operating time 4 . Endocrine effects: Due to secretions of a wide range of hormones and proteins by adipose tissue, obesity leads to chronic, low-grade systemic inflammation. Adipose tissue is now recognised as an active endocrine organ. Obese pets produce more cytokines (e.g.: TNF α, interleukins 1β and 6) and acute phase proteins (e.g.: C-reactive protein), all of which have an impact on the health of cats and dogs such as a higher predisposition to cancer, hyperinsulinemia etc. Adipose tissue also secretes adipokines, the most common being leptin. This hormone is a regulator of food intake and energy expenditure. Leptin specifically is an in vitro promoter of mammary tumours and hepatocellular carcinomas in humans. Lim and colleagues found that female dogs with a BCS greater than 7 develop mammary cancer at an earlier age than lean dogs and had worse histologic prognostic indicators 5 . There is also a higher prevalence of obesity in diabetic cat and dog populations. Obesity is a significant risk factor for type 2 diabetes in cats, which is the most common form of diabetes in this species. This is the result of obesity-induced insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. In dogs, obesity leads to hyperinsulinemia and impaired glucose tolerance. These effects are particularly pronounced when feeding a diet high in saturated fat. One of the main consequences of obesity in cats and dogs is related to their quality of life. Health improvements such as activity levels may be visible to clients in just 2 weeks after starting and sticking to a weight loss programme. Using BCS to determine ideal bodyweight ** do not rely on breed guidelines, they are not accurate For more information please visit: Cat: https://www.royalcanin.com/za/cats/weight-management Dog: https://www.royalcanin.com/za/dogs/weight-management 1. Clutton (1998), German et al (2010), German et al (2006), Kealy et al (2002), Kealy et al (1997), Kealy et al (2002), Scarlett and Donoghue (19980. 2. Scarlett and Donoghue (1998), Lund et al (2005) 3. Marshall WG, Hazewinkel HA, Mullen D, De Meyer G, Baert K, Carmichaek S. 2010. The effect of weight loss on lameness in obese dogs with osteoarthritis. Vet Res Commun 34: 241-253. 4. Mosing M, German AJ, Holden SL, MacFarlane P, Biourge V, Morris PJ. Iff I. 2013. Oxygenation and ventilation characteristics in obese sedated dogs before and after weight loss: a clinical trial. Vet J 198(2): 367-371, 5. Lim HY. Im KS, Kim NH, et al . 2015. Obesity, espression of adipocytokines and macrophage infiltration in canine mammary tumours. Vet J 203: 236-231 6. Weeth LP, Fascetti AJ, Kass PH, et al . 2007. Prevelance of obese dogs in a population of dogs with cancer. Am J Vet Res 68: 389-398 The science and consequence behind obesity Dr Debby Bain ​ BCS​ Variation from Ideal bodyweight​ How to calculate​ Ideal Bodyweight​ IDEAL​ 5​ 100% IBW​ = Current BW​ OVERWEIGHT​ 6​ 110 % IBW​ = Current BW/1.1​ OVERWEIGHT​ 7​ 120% IBW​ = Current BW/1.2​ OBESE​ 8​ 130% IBW​ = Current BW/1.3​ OBESE​ 9​ 140% IBW​ = Current BW/1.4​