Impact of canine overweight and obesity on health-related quality of life.
Canine obesity is increasing in prevalence in the UK and raises concerns about dog welfare. This study compares the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of dogs of varying body condition: overweight and obese (BCS 4 and 5) versus non-overweight dogs (BCS 2 and 3), obese (BCS 5) versus non-overweight (BCS 2 and 3) and an overall comparison between all four BCS (BCS 2, 3, 4 and 5) using a novel, validated HRQL instrument which is both web and mobile tablet/phone app based. Of 271 dog owners who were approached, 174 completed a web-based instrument (2013) or a mobile tablet app instrument (2014) during the summers of 2013 and 2014. Automatically generated scores in four domains of HRQL (energetic/enthusiastic, happy/content, active/comfortable, calm/relaxed) were compared for dogs with each of the body condition scores (BCS 2-5). For all body condition scores a statistically significant difference was found between the HRQL scores in two of the domains: energetic/enthusiastic (p=0.02) and active comfortable (p=0.004). When BCS 2 and 3 were compared to BCS 4 and 5, statistical significance was found in the same two domains - energetic/enthusiastic (p=0.01) and active comfortable (p=0.001) - as it was in comparison of non-overweight (BCS 2 and 3) compared to obese dogs (BCS 5): energetic/enthusiastic (p=0.012) and active comfortable (p=0.004). These results suggest that overweight and obese dogs have a reduced HRQL in two of the domains compared to non-overweight dogs, and that differences in HRQL are detectable between BCS scores 2, 3, 4 and 5.
School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, 464 Bearsden Road, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom. Electronic address: Philippa.Yam@glasgow.ac.uk.
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Yam
School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, 464 Bearsden Road, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom.
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Butowski
School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, 464 Bearsden Road, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom.
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Chitty
School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, 464 Bearsden Road, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom.
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Naughton
School of Mathematics and Statistics, College of Science and Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom.
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Wiseman-Orr
School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, 464 Bearsden Road, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom.
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Parkin
School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, 464 Bearsden Road, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom.
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Reid
D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
Canine; Health-related quality of life; Obesity; Overweight