Energy-intake and activity risk factors for owner-perceived obesity in a defined population of Swedish dogs.
Our main objective was to obtain baseline data on daily metabolisable energy (ME) intake, activity, and risk factors for obesity in a population of 460 privately owned Swedish dogs in 1999. A previously validated mail-and-telephone questionnaire was used (Sallander et al., 2001a). The dogs were of 124 breeds, 1-3 years old, and had body weights (BW) between 1 and 75kg. The ME intakes of this population could be described with the equation ME(intake) (kilojoules, kJ/d)=554BW(0.66) (r(sp)=0.73, P=0.0001). The energy intake originating from commercial foods was 79% (median, range 45-97). Table foods generally had a higher fat content (median 13g/megajoule, MJ, range 1-122) than commercial foods (median 8g/MJ, range 2-18; P=0.0001). The median energy density was 1603kJ/100g (median; range 1106-2105). Almost all (97%) dogs were taken for walks, and there was a significant difference between the duration of the walks during weekdays and weekends (medians 60 and 90min/d, respectively, P=0.006). Sixty percent of all dogs were trained in activities such as obedience (31%), hunting (27%) or tracking (18%) for a median of 35min/d (range 1-146). The final regression model for obesity included the factors sex, appetite and feeding a home-made diet/table foods. Dogs that were perceived to have good or very good appetite had 3.42-fold greater odds for obesity than individuals with bad or very bad appetite (95% CI 1.19-9.80; P=0.022). Females had 2.17-fold greater odds of being obese than males did (95% CI 1.30-3.70; P=0.003). Also, dogs fed table foods or home-made diets had 2.06-fold greater odds of obesity than those that were not given these food items (95% CI 0.97-4.35; P=0.050).
Sallander
Marie
M
Department of Animal Nutrition and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, S-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden. Ingrid.Hansson@sva.se
Hagberg
Malin
M
Hedhammar
Ake
A
Rundgren
Margareta
M
Lindberg
Jan E
JE
D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D004285:Dogs; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D012621:Seasons; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden