Tackling the dogs and cats with obesity and concurrent disease

Course overview

Obesity is now a major health and welfare concern in companion animals. Overweight dogs and cats are at increased risk of developing comorbidities including: diabetes mellitus, musculoskeletal disease, neoplasia, oral cavity disease skin disease, and urinary tract disease. Increased adiposity can also adversely affect respiratory function, cause metabolic derangements including insulin resistance, and also affect renal function and health. Although weight management programmes can be successful, outcomes are often disappointing with many animals either failing to reach target weight or regaining weight subsequently. This talk will consider obesity as a disease and provide guidance on clinical priorities for weight management when other diseases are present. The concept of tailoring weight management to the individual be considered, whereby the target for weight loss is set according to individual circumstances. Case examples will be used to illustrate the concepts covered.