E. Courcier

An epidemiological study of environmental factors associated with canine obesity.

OBJECTIVES To assess the relationships between socioeconomic and other environmental factors with canine obesity. METHODS This was a cross-sectional questionnaire study of dog owners attending five primary veterinary practices in the UK. Owners were asked about dog age, neuter status, feeding habits, dog exercise, household income and owner age. The body condition score of the dogs was also assessed. Factors hypothesised to be associated with obesity were investigated. RESULTS In total, data from 696 questionnaires were evaluated. Out of those data evaluated, 35.3% of dogs (n=246) were classed as an ideal body shape, 38.9% (n=271) were overweight, 20.4% (n=142) were obese and 5.3% (n=37) were underweight. Identified risk factors associated with obesity included owner age, hours of weekly exercise, frequency of snacks/treats and personal income. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Environmental risk factors associated with canine obesity are multifactorial and include personal income, owner age, frequency of snacks/treats and amount of exercise the dog receives. Awareness about health risks associated with obesity in dogs is significantly less in people in lower income brackets. This phenomenon is recognised in human obesity.

Prevalence and risk factors for feline obesity in a first opinion practice in Glasgow, Scotland

A cross-sectional questionnaire study of cat owners registered with a first opinion veterinary practice was undertaken in July 2008. The body condition score (BCS) of the cats was assessed by the interviewer using a validated five point scale. Owners also rated their cats BCS using five word descriptions. In total, 118 questionnaires were collected. The prevalence of overweight or obese cats (BCS 4 or 5) was 39% (30.2–47.8%, n=61). Risk factors associated with overweight or obesity were frequency of feeding and neutered status. There was moderate agreement between owner and interviewer rating of BCS. Owner misperception was more likely when owners rated cats with BCS 1 (very thin) and 4 (overweight) and in longhaired cats. The study highlights the continuing need for owner education in feline nutrition and specifically the requirement for veterinarians to develop strategies to help owners correct their assessment of their cats BCS.

An investigation into the epidemiology of feline obesity in Great Britain: results of a cross-sectional study of 47 companion animal practises

Previous epidemiological studies of feline obesity have been restricted to small geographical areas of Great Britain. This study represents the first published description of the prevalence and risk factors for obesity from a nationally distributed population of cats. Data were gathered from 3227 cats through 47 primary companion animal veterinary practises. The overall prevalence of overweight/obesity was 11.5 per cent (95% confidence interval 10.4 per cent to 12.6 per cent) in cats attending the charitys clinics. Cats in Scotland appeared to have a greater age and neutered-adjusted prevalence compared with cats in England. Neutered status, being male and middle age (around 7 years), were all significant risk factors for feline overweight/obesity, although they did not fully explain an individual cats risk of overweight/obesity. Breed was not found to be a statistically significant risk factor. Partial attributable fractions were calculated from each of the significant risk factors. Neutered status appeared to contribute the most to the prevalence of obesity, followed by prime/mature lifestage (3–10 years of age). Any interpretations of these findings should take into account the multitude of biases inherent in this study. Nevertheless, weight management following neutering appears to be very important to reduce the overall prevalence of overweight/obesity in this population of cats.

A cross sectional study of the prevalence and risk factors for owner misperception of canine body shape in first opinion practice in Glasgow.

The objectives of the study were to investigate whether owners were able to assign the correct body shape to their dog and to assess the dog and owner level factors associated with incorrect owner assessment of dog body shape. Six hundred and eighty questionnaires were administered to dog owners in 5 first opinion practices around Glasgow during July 2007. At the same time, the interviewer and owner assessed the body shape of each dog. The interviewer assessment of body shape was taken as the gold standard. Incorrect owner assessment of dog body shape (misperception) was divided into two groups: underestimation and overestimation. Multinomial logistic regression and classification and regression trees (CART) were used to assess risk factors associated with each type of misperception. Misperception of dog body shape was present in 44.1% of owners with underestimation (i.e. the owner considered the animal to have a leaner body shape from the gold standard assessment) being the most common form of misperception. Risk factors identified by both multinomial logistic regression and CART were gender of owner, age of the dog and dog body shape. The classification tree appeared to have improved predictive ability when compared to the multinomial model.

A comparison of the effects of two different doses of ketamine used for co-induction of anaesthesia with a target-controlled infusion of propofol in dogs

OBJECTIVE To assess the cardiorespiratory and hypnotic-sparing effects of ketamine co-induction with target-controlled infusion of propofol in dogs. STUDY DESIGN Prospective, randomized, blinded clinical study. ANIMALS Ninety healthy dogs (ASA grades I/II). Mean body mass 30.5 +/- SD 8.6 kg and mean age 4.2 +/- 2.6 years. METHODS All dogs received pre-anaesthetic medication with acepromazine (0.03 mg kg(-1)) and morphine (0.2 mg kg(-1)) administered intramuscularly 30 minutes prior to induction of anaesthesia. Heart rate and respiratory rate were recorded prior to pre-medication. Animals were allocated into three different groups: Group 1 (control) received 0.9% NaCl, group 2, 0.25 mg kg(-1) ketamine and group 3, 0.5 mg kg(-1) ketamine, intravenously 1 minute prior to induction of anaesthesia, which was accomplished using a propofol target-controlled infusion system. The target propofol concentration was gradually increased until endotracheal intubation was possible and the target concentration at intubation was recorded. Heart rate, respiratory rate and noninvasive blood pressure were recorded immediately prior to induction, at successful intubation and at 3 and 5 minutes post-intubation. The quality of induction was graded according to the amount of muscle twitching and paddling observed. Data were analysed using a combination of chi-squared tests, Fishers exact tests, Kruskal-Wallis, and anova with significance assumed at p < 0.05. RESULTS There were no significant differences between groups in the blood propofol targets required to achieve endotracheal intubation, nor with respect to heart rate, noninvasive blood pressure or quality of induction. Compared with the other groups, the incidence of post-induction apnoea was significantly higher in group 3, but despite this dogs in this group had higher respiratory rates overall. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Under the conditions of this study, ketamine does not seem to be a useful agent for co-induction of anaesthesia with propofol in dogs.

Clinical factors associated with death before discharge and overall survival time in dogs with generalized megaesophagus

OBJECTIVE To investigate the association of 6 clinical features with outcome of dogs with generalized megaesophagus. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. ANIMALS 71 client-owned dogs with radiographic evidence of generalized esophageal dilation. PROCEDURES Medical records were reviewed for data on signalment, age at onset of clinical signs, body weight, evidence of undernutrition, and the administration of drugs to treat or prevent esophagitis. Radiographs were reviewed for evidence of aspiration pneumonia (AP) and to calculate the relative esophageal diameter. Details of outcome were collected from the medical records and by contacting owners and referring veterinarians. The association of 6 factors with death before discharge and overall survival time was assessed. RESULTS Overall median survival time was 90 days. Nineteen (26.7%) patients died before discharge from the hospital. Radiographic evidence of AP was both positively associated with death before discharge and negatively associated with overall survival time. An age at onset of clinical signs of >13 months was negatively associated with overall survival time. No evidence of an association of the degree of esophageal dilation or the use of drugs to prevent or treat esophagitis with death before discharge or overall survival time was found. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Radiographic evidence of AP and the age at onset of clinical signs were the only variables found to be significantly associated with survival time in this study, and this should be considered when advising on prognosis in dogs with megaesophagus.

Ex vivo evaluation of the effect of tibial plateau osteotomy on the proximal tibial soft tissue envelope with and without the use of protective gauze sponges.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) on the proximal tibial soft tissue envelope with and without use of protective gauze sponges, and to determine whether the action of an oscillating saw blade on the gauze sponges would result in retention of particulate cotton debris. STUDY DESIGN Cadaveric study. ANIMALS Medium to large breed dog cadavers (n=10; 20 pelvic limbs). METHODS TPLO was performed using the currently recommended technique involving dissection of the proximal tibial soft tissue envelope and its protection using cotton gauze sponges. In paired limbs, the procedure was repeated but no attempt was made to retract and protect the proximal tibial soft tissue envelope. Damage to the soft tissue envelope and presence of gross particulate cotton debris were investigated by direct observation and photographic analysis. Presence of microscopic cotton debris was investigated using light microscopic analysis of wound lavage fluid. RESULTS No soft-tissue trauma was found in gauze sponge-protected specimens. When protective gauze sponges were not used, full-thickness (sagittal plane) lacerations to the caudoproximal tibial muscle group occurred in all specimens with a mean craniocaudal width of 9.5 mm (range 2-12 mm). The cranial tibial muscle was traumatized in only 1 specimen without protective gauze sponges. Trauma to the popliteal vessels was not identified in any specimen. No gross cotton debris was identified, but microscopic cotton fibers (diameter, 7-35 microm) were identified in lavage fluid from all gauze sponge-protected specimens. CONCLUSIONS Use of protective gauze sponges is effective in protecting the proximal tibial soft tissue envelope from an oscillating TPLO saw blade, but results in retention of microscopic cotton particulate debris within the operative site. Significant soft tissue trauma is seen only in the caudoproximal tibial muscle group if protective gauze sponges are not used. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Retraction and protection of the caudoproximal tibial soft tissue envelope is recommended during TPLO; however, to prevent retention of microscopic particulate cotton debris, alternatives to cotton gauze sponges should be considered as protective devices.

RADIOGRAPHIC DIAMETER OF THE COLON IN NORMAL AND CONSTIPATED CATS AND IN CATS WITH MEGACOLON

Radiographs of 50 cats with no history of gastrointestinal disease were evaluated to establish a normal reference range for radiographic diameter of the feline colon. Thirteen cats with constipation and 26 with megacolon were also evaluated and compared with the normal cats to characterize the accuracy of the reference range and to identify a cutoff to distinguish constipation from megacolon. A ratio of maximal diameter of the colon to L5 length was the most repeatable and accurate measurement. A ratio <1.28 is a strong indicator of a normal colon (sensitivity 96%, specificity 87%). A value >1.48 is a good indicator of megacolon (sensitivity 77%, specificity 85%).