Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How obesity affects breathing in cats compared to normal weight cats
By García-Guasch, Laín et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2015·Hospital Veterinari Molins, Spain·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pulmonary function in obese vs non-obese cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that obese cats have breathing problems compared to normal-weight cats. Researchers measured how well both groups breathed using a special non-invasive test. They discovered that the obese cats had lower lung volumes and struggled more with breathing, which could lead to respiratory issues. However, they did not find the same signs of airway constriction in cats as seen in humans and dogs. This suggests that while obesity affects how cats breathe, it may not cause the same bronchial issues as in other species.
Abstract
Obesity is a risk factor in the development of several respiratory diseases. Lung volumes tend to be decreased, especially expiratory reserve volume, increasing expiratory flow limitation during tidal breathing. Barometric whole-body plethysmography is a non-invasive pulmonary function test that allows a dynamic study of breathing patterns. The objective of this study was to compare pulmonary function variables between obese and non-obese cats through the use of barometric whole-body plethysmography. Nine normal-weight and six obese cats were placed in the plethysmograph chamber, and different respiratory variables were measured. There was a significant decrease in tidal volume per kilogram (P = 0.003), minute volume per kilogram (P = 0.001) and peak inspiratory and expiratory flows per kilogram (P = 0.001) in obese cats compared with non-obese cats. Obesity failed to demonstrate a significant increase in bronchoconstriction index variable enhanced pause (Penh), as previously reported in humans and dogs. The results show that feline obesity impairs pulmonary function in cats, although a significant increase in bronchoconstriction indexes was not observed. Non-invasive barometric whole-body plethysmography can help characterise mechanical dysfunction of the airways in obese cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25209968/