Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Feline obesity - prevalence, risk factors, pathogenesis, associated conditions and assessment: a review
- Year:
- 2016
- Authors:
- D. Tarkošová et al.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Obesity is a common problem in pet cats, affecting between 11.5% and 63% of them, depending on the study. Several factors can contribute to a cat becoming overweight, such as their breed, age, sex, whether they’ve been spayed or neutered, how owners perceive their cat's weight, what they feed them, how often they feed them, and their living environment. Being obese can lead to serious health issues like diabetes, liver disease, joint problems, dental issues, urinary problems, skin diseases, and even some cancers. To help manage or prevent obesity, it's important to assess a cat's body condition and create a suitable weight loss plan. This review highlights the importance of understanding feline obesity and the various ways to assess and address it.
Abstract
Obesity is recognised as the most common multifactorial nutritional disorder of pet cats. Studies from several countries have indicated that between 11.5% and 63% of cats are overweight or obese. Breed, age, sex, reproductive status, the pet-owner relationship, owners' perceptions of their cats' body condition, type of diet, frequency of feeding, and environment have all been identified as potential risk factors for the development of obesity in cats. Obesity has significant implications for feline health and welfare as it has mechanical and metabolic effects and can predispose cats to conditions such as diabetes mellitus type 2, hepatic lipidosis, lameness, oral cavity disease, urinary tract disease, dermatological disease, and neoplasia. An important aspect of preventing and managing obesity is the evaluation of body condition to determine ideal body weight and to formulate an appropriate weight loss plan. Several methods have been developed for this purpose. This review uses recent scientific literature to discuss various aspects of feline obesity, including its prevalence, proposed risk factors, pathogenesis, associated conditions, and methods of assessment.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/172bd4dfb36dfab040e5f0cc20a9668ae5ffa334