Influence of Weight Loss to Improve Quality of Life in Overweight and Obese Dogs
B.F. Firmo; S.C. Rahal; F.G. Vassalo; W.T. Kano; L.R. Mesquita; L.G. Faria
Department of Veterinary Surgery and Anesthesiology, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho," Botucatu, Brazil
Obesity and overweight have become common problems in small animals, and endogenous and exogenous factors may contribute to the development of the disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the quality of life in obese (n = 3) and overweight (n = 4) Labrador Retriever dogs submitted to weight loss treatment. Body condition scores were done using 5-point scale, and the dogs received exclusively Satiety Support Canine®. For each dog was estimated maintenance energy requirement (MER) in terms of kcal metabolizable energy per day by the following formula: MER = 70 x (ideal body weight in kilograms)0.75 kcal per day. The amount of the food to be offered for each dog was calculated according to this equation: Amount of food (grams) = (MER x 100)/ME (metabolizable energy of the Satiety Support Canine® = 2870 kcal ME/kg). Three overweight dogs had 11.3%, 15%, and 15.5% of weight loss in three months, and one overweight dog had 15% of weight loss in six months. The obese dogs had weight loss of 29%, 23.4%, and 28%, respectively in 8, 6, and 11 months. The difference of time period for weight loss among the dogs may be associated with several factors including individual variation, lifestyle, and hormonal condition. Factors such as locomotion facility, better breathing, and willingness to stand up and play were reported by the owner as important features related to weight loss. These offered the dogs an improvement in their quality of life. In conclusion, the weight loss was effective to improve dog's quality of life due to improvement of the physical condition.