Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Weight loss success in obese pet dogs with diet energy limits
By German, Alexander J et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2007·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Dietary energy restriction and successful weight loss in obese client-owned dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Nineteen overweight dogs were put on a special diet to help them lose weight, and they managed to shed an average of 18% of their body weight over time. The diet included high protein and moderate fiber, but many dogs struggled to stick to the plan, which affected their weight loss success. The study found that while the dogs lost mostly fat, some also lost lean muscle, especially retrievers. Overall, the weight loss was safe but slower than what might be seen in controlled studies, highlighting the challenges of managing obesity in pet dogs.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Obesity is the most common nutritional disease in dogs. Although weight loss by dietary caloric energy restriction is successful in experimental studies, there is limited information on success of such programs in client-owned dogs who are obese. Further, no information currently exists on the changes in body composition during weight loss in clinical cases. HYPOTHESIS: Key determinants of outcome of weight loss, including energy allocation and body composition, are influenced by both individual and weight program factors. ANIMALS: Nineteen client-owned dogs with naturally occurring obesity. METHODS: In this prospective clinical study, body composition was quantified by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry before and after weight loss on an individually tailored program that incorporated a high-protein and moderate-fiber diet. RESULTS: Mean percentage weight loss was 18% (range, 6-29%), and mean rate of weight loss was 0.85% per week (range, 0.35-1.56%). Mean energy allocation required to achieve weight loss was 60% of maintenance energy requirement at target weight (MERTW) (range, 50-82%). Significant dietary noncompliance was reported (mean, 1.0% MERTW; range, 0.0-9.5%). The mean composition of tissue lost was 84: 15:1 (fat : lean : bone mineral content [BMC]). Lean tissue loss was positively associated with overall percentage of weight loss (Pearson correlation coefficient [Rp] = 0.591, P = .008), whereas BMC loss was greater in retrievers compared with other breeds (1.9% +/- 1.16% versus 0.8% +/- 0.44%; P = .008). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: This clinical study demonstrated body composition changes during weight loss in dogs. Conventional programs produced safe weight loss, but marked energy restriction was required and the rate of loss was slower than in experimental studies.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18196722/