Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How do dog and cat owners in Brazil view their pets' weight?
By Teixeira, Fabio Alves et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2020·Department of Animal Nutrition and Production, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Brazilian owners perception of the body condition score of dogs and cats.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study in Brazil looked at how pet owners view their dogs' and cats' body conditions, which is important for managing obesity and ensuring proper nutrition. The research included 601 dogs and 110 cats, and it found that owners often misjudge their pets' weight. Many owners, especially those living in the countryside, tended to underestimate their pets' body condition compared to what veterinarians assessed. Interestingly, while owners of lean dogs often thought their pets were heavier than they actually were, cat owners generally agreed with their veterinarians about their cats' weight. Overall, the study concluded that many pet owners struggle to accurately assess their pets' body condition, particularly those from rural areas.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The knowledge of how owners view the body condition of their animals is an important factor for the success of the prevention/treatment of obesity and the engagement/adherence to nutritional interventions, which are fundamental to improve the animal prognosis. For this reason, the objective of this study was to evaluate the perception of the owners regarding the body condition score of their animals, compare the perception between cat vs. dog owners, and owners from the countryside vs. metropolitan region of São Paulo State in Brazil. RESULTS: 601 dogs and 110 cats were included in this study. There was no significant difference in body condition score assigned by owners by species. Owners of dogs and cats classified by the veterinarian as ideal, overweight, and obese who disagree with body condition score assigned by veterinarian mainly underestimate the body condition score of their animals, while lean dogs' owners overestimate it. Countryside dog owners had a higher rate of disagreement with the veterinarian and more often underestimate the body condition score than owners from the metropolitan region. The owners of lean cats have the same judgments with veterinarians. CONCLUSIONS: Owners of dogs and cats have difficulty assessing the body condition score, especially owners from countryside.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33246455/