Obesity in Felines
What is obesity? Obesity is defined as an accumulation of excessive amounts of adipose tissue in the body (6). This is the most frequently observed nutritional disorder among domestic cats (5,7). For felines it is most commonly viewed as a body weight that is 20 percent or more above normal weight (domestic cat = 8-10lbs) (8,10). This means as little as two pounds can put a cat at risk for developing multiple serious medical.
What are other health complications that are linked with feline obesity? A feline that is considered obese will be faced with many challenges. The extra weight will inhibit their normal desire for physical activity and will further compromise their quality of life (4,7).
Minor Major
• Lethargy
• Joint
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Appleton, D. J., Rand, J. S., & Sunvold, G. D. (2000). Feline obesity: Pathogenesis and implications for the risk of diabetes. In 2000 IAMS Nutrition Symposium (Vol. 3, pp. 81-90). Orange Frazer Press.
2. College of Veterinary Medicine - Cornell University (Feline Diabetes) http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/Health_Information/brochure_diabetes.cfm
3. Colliard, L., Paragon, B. M., Lemuet, B., Bénet, J. J., & Blanchard, G. (2009). Prevalence and risk factors of obesity in an urban population of healthy cats. Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery, 11(2), 135-140.
4. Donoghue, S., & Scarlett, J. M. (1998). Diet and feline obesity. The Journal of nutrition, 128(12), 2776S-2778S.
5. German, A. J. (2006). The growing problem of obesity in dogs and cats. The Journal of Nutrition, 136(7), 1940S-1946S.
6. German, A., & Martin, L. (2008). Feline obesity. Encyclopedia of feline clinical nutrition, 16.
7. Lund, E. M., Armstrong, P. J., Kirk, C. A., & Klausner, J. S. (2005). Prevalence and risk factors for obesity in adult cats from private US veterinary practices. Intern J Appl Res Vet Med, 3(2), 88-96.
8. Obesity in Cats... and What to do About an Overweight Cat | petMD