Chapter 8: Pet Obesity: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention 1 CE Hour
Expiration Date : June 2, 2028 Course overview
Veterinarians must work with pet owners to help them to understand our concerns and the adverse effects obesity has on their pets. Similarly, we must provide a clear path for treatment, including simple, SMART (Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals and regular follow-up to help them achieve these goals.
Obesity is a significant problem in both humans and pets. It leads to numerous comorbidities, which require extensive and potentially costly treatment. This course will provide information on the common causes of and treatments for obesity in pets. Definitions will be given and applied to conditions that both lead to and stem from pet obesity. Learning objectives After completing this course, the learner will be able to: Identify factors related to obesity.
Outline a personalized weight-loss plan for a patient. Explain a personalized weight-loss plan to a veterinary client.
Describe the pathophysiology of obesity. Recognize obesity in small animal patients. Abbreviations ● AAHA: American Animal Hospital Association ● BCS: Body condition score ● BF: Body fat ● BW: Body weight ● IBW: Ideal body weight ● MCS: Muscle condition score
● OTC: Over the counter ● QOL: Quality of life ● RER: Resting energy requirement ● SMART: Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound
INTRODUCTION
everything they eat. This can improve the ease of obesity prevention, assuming that we are able to get clients on board with our recommendations. As veterinarians, we must help owners understand our concerns and the adverse effects obesity has on their pets. Only then can we partner with owners to create a clear path forward, including simple, SMART goals and regular follow- up to help them achieve those goals. health effects” (Villaverde, 2018). Johnson, Lee, and Swanson (2020) provide a more detailed definition, stating that “obesity and overweight status in dogs have been defined as body weights that are 20% and 10% greater than the ideal weight, respectively.” Alternative definitions for the terms “overweight” and “obese” can be seen in the table below. Table 1: Obesity Definitions for Dogs and Cats METHOD OVERWEIGHT OBESE Percentage
Obesity is a growing problem in both humans and pets. This condition can lead to numerous comorbidities and significant impacts on quality of life (QOL). While it is possible to treat obesity in veterinary patients, it is better to try to prevent this condition. Preventing obesity can be challenging in humans, due to dietary preferences and issues of willpower. Unlike humans, however, pets depend on their owners for (nearly) Obesity defined Obesity in humans According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “[T]he age-adjusted prevalence of obesity was 42.4% in 2017–2018” in the U.S. (Hales et. al, 2020). Obesity is widely recognized as a significant threat to people. The American Medical Association has officially recognized obesity as a disease since 2013 (Obesity Medicine Association, 2013). Obesity is recognized as an impairment with characteristic signs or symptoms that cause harm or morbidity. The causes of obesity in humans are multifactorial and go beyond merely consuming more calories than are burned. Identified contributing factors include diet, activity, environmental factors, genetics, health conditions, medications, sleep, emotional factors, and stress (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Health, 2016). Obesity in pets Obesity in pets parallels human obesity in many ways. However, obesity in pets is less well researched and is often unclearly defined. Perhaps the most basic definition of obesity in pets is an “excess of body fat that has negative
All body weights between "obese" and "ideal" weights
Weight exceeds 120% to 130% of ideal body weight
BCS 5-Point Scale BCS 9-Point Scale Note. Shmalberg, 2013
4/5
5/5
> 7/9
6/9
Page 69
Book Code: VFL1526
EliteLearning.com/Veterinarian
Powered by FlippingBook