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Review
. 2022 Dec 23:9:944821.
doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.944821. eCollection 2022.

Environmental risk factors in puppies and kittens for developing chronic disorders in adulthood: A call for research on developmental programming

Virginie Gaillard  1 , Sylvie Chastant  2 , Gary England  3 , Oliver Forman  4 , Alexander J German  5 , Jan S Suchodolski  6 , Cecilia Villaverde  7 , Pascale Chavatte-Palmer  8   9 , Franck Péron  1
Affiliations
Review

Environmental risk factors in puppies and kittens for developing chronic disorders in adulthood: A call for research on developmental programming

Virginie Gaillard et al. Front Vet Sci. .

Abstract

Many dogs and cats are affected by chronic diseases that significantly impact their health and welfare and relationships with humans. Some of these diseases can be challenging to treat, and a better understanding of early-life risk factors for diseases occurring in adulthood is key to improving preventive veterinary care and husbandry practices. This article reviews early-life risk factors for obesity and chronic enteropathy, and for chronic behavioral problems, which can also be intractable with life-changing consequences. Aspects of early life in puppies and kittens that can impact the risk of adult disorders include maternal nutrition, establishment of the gut microbiome, maternal behavior, weaning, nutrition during growth, growth rate, socialization with conspecifics and humans, rehoming and neutering. Despite evidence in some species that the disorders reviewed here reflect the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD), developmental programming has rarely been studied in dogs and cats. Priorities and strategies to increase knowledge of early-life risk factors and DOHaD in dogs and cats are discussed. Critical windows of development are proposed: preconception, gestation, the suckling period, early growth pre-neutering or pre-puberty, and growth post-neutering or post-puberty to adult size, the durations of which depend upon species and breed. Challenges to DOHaD research in these species include a large number of breeds with wide genetic and phenotypic variability, and the existence of many mixed-breed individuals. Moreover, difficulties in conducting prospective lifelong cohort studies are exacerbated by discontinuity in pet husbandry between breeders and subsequent owners, and by the dispersed nature of pet ownership.

Keywords: behavior; chronic enteropathy; developmental programming; epigenetics; microbiota; nutrition; obesity.

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Conflict of interest statement

FP and VG are employees of Royal Canin SAS. SC is a French Government Agent and head of NeoCare ENVT, a Public Research Unit. NeoCare Unit was partially funded by Royal Canin Research Division from 2012 to 2021. As such, SC has presented research results and clinical recommendations at Royal Canin-sponsored conferences. GE provides veterinary clinical advice to Waltham Petcare Science Institute, Waltham-on-the-Wolds, Leicestershire, UK. OF is an employee of Wisdom Panel (Kinship), a Mars Petcare Company. AG is an employee of the University of Liverpool, but his post is financially supported by Royal Canin, has received financial remuneration for providing educational material, speaking at conferences, and consultancy work from Royal Canin, and is also a member of the Guide Dogs Scientific Advisory Group. JS is an employee of the Gastrointestinal Laboratory at Texas A&M University, which offers diagnostic testing on a fee-for-service basis, and has received speaker honoraria and consulting fees from Royal Canin SAS, Nestle Purina Petcare, ExeGI Pharma, Nutramax Laboratories, and Hill's Pet Nutrition. CV has done consulting work for a variety of pet food companies (Nestlé Purina PetCare, Royal Canin, Mars Pet Care, and Dechra Specific), has participated as an investigator in clinical trials sponsored by Royal Canin and Affinity Pet Care, develops educational materials for Morris Institute, is part of the Scientific Advisory Board of FEDIAF and a member of the Global Nutrition Committee of the WSAVA, and participates as a speaker or attendee in continuing education events sponsored or organized by Royal Canin, Nestlé Purina PetCare, and Hill's Pet Nutrition. The remaining author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The reviewer AW declared a shared affiliation with the author GE to the handling editor at the time of review.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Overview of comorbidities associated with obesity or overweight in dogs (, –, , , –49). Some associations were specific to either obese dogs or overweight dogs. CaOx, calcium oxalate.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Overview of comorbidities associated with obesity or overweight in cats (, , , –58). Some associations were found only for certain body condition scores within the obese or overweight range. Associations were often found between obesity or overweight and a general category of disease or conditions pertaining to an organ/organ system. In these cases, examples are provided of some of the conditions that the study included in the category definition.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Early-life environmental exposures to investigate as potential risk factors for chronic enteropathies in adulthood. GI, gastrointestinal.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Windows of developmental programming proposed in dogs and cats. BCS, body condition score; FG/SG, folliculogenesis/spermatogenesis; FZ, fertilization; Pre-SPG, prespermatogonia.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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