Avaliação clínica e metabólica de felinos acima do peso em tratamento com dieta hipocalórica e enriquecimento ambiental

Abstract

Feline obesity can cause clinical and metabolic changes in the body. In this study, three articles were developed, the first aims to report the results of obesity treatment in a cat treated at a university hospital, on laboratory and ultrasound variables. In total, five assessments were carried out, the first four every 30 days and the last at 193 days. The degree of obesity, thoracic and abdominal circumference, laboratory analysis and ultrasound examination were assessed. After 193 days of dieting, it was possible to analyze that even close to the target weight, there was an improvement in the analysis of the lipid profile and in the ultrasound examination. Article 2 - aimed to evaluate the effects of environmental enrichment on behavior, cat-owner interaction and acceptance of resources in overweight cats. Ten overweight cats treated with a hypocaloric diet and subjected to environmental enrichment in the respective order, step, food tower, interactive rod and food box participated. The main effects found were improvements in body movement, predatory behavior and cat-owner interaction, with the most accepted resource in decreasing order being: interactive rod, step, food tower and food box. Article 3 - aimed to report body and metabolic assessments, monitoring of weight loss in overweight felines treated with a hypocaloric diet, together with their owners' perception of the treatment. Twenty overweight cats participated and were divided into group 1 (low-calorie diet and environmental enrichment) and group 2 (diet only). Body condition score, morphometric measurements, blood pressure measurement and laboratory analysis were evaluated on day zero and 120 of treatment. At the end of the treatment, a reduction in thoracic and abdominal circumference, triglyceremia and cholesterolemia was observed. The main difficulty in treating obesity, according to the owners, was the cost of the diet, which was considered high. It was concluded that after the 120-day treatment, the cats showed improvement in their clinical and laboratory conditions, reduction in thoracic and abdominal circumference, triglycerides and cholesterol. The main limitation reported was the cost of the diet, highlighting the need for strategies to raise awareness and adhere to treatment. These results reinforce the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of obesity in felines.