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Review
. 2014 Dec 30:6:49-60.
doi: 10.2147/VMRR.S40868. eCollection 2015.

Canine and feline obesity: a review of pathophysiology, epidemiology, and clinical management

John P Loftus  1 , Joseph J Wakshlag  1
Affiliations
Review

Canine and feline obesity: a review of pathophysiology, epidemiology, and clinical management

John P Loftus et al. Vet Med (Auckl). .

Abstract

Canine and feline obesity rates have reached pandemic proportions and are similar to those in humans, with approximately 30%-40% of dogs and cats being overweight to obese. Obesity has been associated with other health problems, including osteoarthritis, renal disease, skin disease, insulin resistance, and neoplasia in dogs, while in cats obesity is associated with dermatological issues, diabetes mellitus, neoplasia, and urolithiasis. The health issues appear to be slightly different across the two species, which may be due to some inherent differences in the hormonal milieu involved in obesity that differs between the dog and the cat. In this review, we discuss the complicated nature of the pathogenesis of obesity, the hormonal stimulus for orexigenic and anorexigenic behavior, adipose tissue as an endocrine organ, and most importantly, clinical management of the number one disease in canine and feline medicine.

Keywords: canine; feline; obesity; veterinary.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic showing involvement of the arcuate nucleus and hypothalamus in eating behavior. Abbreviations: POMC-CART, preproopiomelanocortin cocaine amphetamine transcripts; NPY-AGRP, neuropeptide Y-agouti related peptide; MCH, melanin-concentrating hormone; Y1r, y5r, neuropeptide Y receptor 1 and 5; PVN, paraventricular nucleus; DMH, dorsomedial hypothalamus; LHA, lateral hypothalamic area; PYY, peptide YY; GLP-1, glucagon-like peptide 1.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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