Veterinary Medicine - September 2007 - (Page S2)

CANINE OBESITY Laflamme: Are there any other risk factors? Julie Churchill: I break it down to pet factors (age, breed, neuter status, health), owner factors (weight, activity level, work vs. stay-at home), diet factors (palatability and nutrient density of food), and veterinarian factors (comfort and competence in discussing and managing obesity). We recommend early spaying and neutering, which affects the metabolic rate and reduces the pet’s energy requirement, yet we forget to make a nutrition recommendation, which increases the risk for obesity. Also, I don’t think my clients understand a dog’s natural feeding behavior. Repeatedly, clients say their pets act hungry or beg for more food. They equate that behavior with their not getting enough nutrition, when it often is just a pet begging for attention. These are two great opportunities to educate clients. obesity as a risk factor for disease. What problems are associated with obesity? Buzhardt: An obvious symptom is the inability to move without pain. We see a lot of bone and joint problems and osteoarthritis in overweight dogs. Prendergast: With osteoarthritis comes exercise intolerance. When owners see the animal having trouble getting around, they think the pet can’t go for a walk, which compounds the problem. Remillard: Most of my canine patients are consults from the orthopedist. They highly prefer the dogs to be on a weight-loss program or demonstrate weight loss prior to surgery. Purina’s 14-year Life Span study concluded that overweight dogs actually had a shorter life span. Not only did they live about two years less, they were grayer and moved more slowly. Buzhardt: That study was probably the most dramatic influence in the veterinary field for practitioners because it confirmed facts about nutrition that we always assumed were true. Keep the dog lean, and it may have a two-year increase in life span or a three-year delay in the onset of osteoarthritis. Common sense assumptions were finally validated by a scientific study. Churchill: In that study, the control dogs had a BCS between 6 and 7 (of 9), vs. a 4 to 5 in the lean dogs. This apparently small difference between healthy lean and slightly overweight has a big impact on potential quantity and quality of life. After pet owners learn about BCS, they need constant reinforcement because peer pressure is so powerful. When the neighbor is saying, “Your pet is too thin,” it hurts because nutrition is a primary way we care for our pets. Veterinarians need to reinforce our message on every visit. Laflamme: Many researchers have documented increased inflammatory mediators in obesity. How can an increase in inflammatory mediators or oxidative stress actually contribute to the diseases linked with obesity? Churchill: Traditionally we thought carrying excess weight was just carrying around a lump of lard. Now data indicate that the effects are not only mechanical, but also hormonal. People can understand the increased mechanical stress on the Dr. Lynn Buzhardt “Keep the dog lean, and it may have a two-year increase in lifespan or a three-year delay in osteoarthritis onset.” Laflamme: How do you respond to clients who say their dogs are always begging for more food? Churchill: I describe the natural feeding behavior of the dog: The wild dog is an opportunist and a gluttonous feeder. If food is there, dogs will almost always consume it because in their wild evolutionary state, they never knew when the next meal would come. Rebecca Remillard: I think we’re learning—15 years ago a medical record would say, “Healthy but obese.” Until recently, obesity wasn’t recognized as a disease. As educators, we have to convince our clients that obesity is not healthy. Obesity-associated disease Laflamme: That is a great segue into the topic of 2

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Veterinary Medicine - September 2007

Contents Letters Leading Off The Veterinary Medicine Interview: Dr. William J. Kay Idea Exchange Practical Matters Salivary Mucoceles in Cates: A Retropspective Study of Seven Cases Hyperlipidemia in Dogs and Cats Purina Insert The Latest Management Recommendations for Cats and Dogs with Nonketotic Diabetes Mellitus CE Form Product Preview Advertiser Index Marketplace/Classifieds Mind Over Miller

Veterinary Medicine - September 2007

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