Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
What helps overweight cats finish a diet weight loss program
By O'Connell, Erin M et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2018·Institute of Veterinary Science, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Factors associated with overweight cats successfully completing a diet-based weight loss programme: an observational study.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 62 overweight cats was enrolled in a diet-based weight loss program to help them reach a healthier weight. Out of these, only 28 cats (about 45%) successfully completed the program. Many cats dropped out due to reasons like owners being hard to contact, illness in the cat or owner, or personal issues. The study found that cats that lost weight more quickly were more likely to finish the program, while those needing to lose more weight had a harder time. This suggests that better support for owners of the most overweight cats could help them succeed in weight loss efforts.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: The most common approach for controlled weight loss in cats is dietary caloric restriction, using a purpose-formulated diet. Most previous studies have only assessed short-term outcomes, and no previous study has examined overall success (i.e. odds of reaching target weight). The aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with overweight cats successfully completing a diet-based weight loss programme to reach target weight. RESULTS: Sixty-two cats were included, and 28 (45%) completed their weight loss programme. The remaining 34 cats (55%) did not reach target weight, of which 2 (3%) were euthanised for unrelated reasons. Reasons for cats stopping the programme prematurely included inability to contact owner (n = 19), owner requested that the programme be completed prior to reaching target weight (n = 5), the cat developed another illness (n = 3), refusal to comply with requirements for weight management (n = 2), owner illness (n = 2), and personal issues of the owner (n = 1). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that rate of weight loss and weight loss required were positively (odds ratio [OR] 157.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 10.00-2492.67) and negatively (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.81-0.98) associated with the odds of completing the weight loss programme, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Future studies should consider developing better methods of supporting the owners of the most obese cats during weight management, since these cats are least likely to complete reach target weight.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30547781/