Survey of Belgian owners’ perspectives on quality of life and difficulties during a weight-loss programme in obese cats
| Autor: | Camila Baptista da Silva, Yang Lyu, Norberto Ruiz-Suárez, Francis Pastoor, Lobke Heip, Wendy Wambacq, Marie Celine Hottat, Myriam Hesta |
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| Rok vydání: | 2022 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. 24:e513-e523 |
| ISSN: | 1532-2750 1098-612X |
| Popis: | Objectives The aims of this study were to determine owners’ perception of their cats’ quality of life (QoL), and whether there is a correlation with weight-loss variables, as well as to identify the main difficulties owners encounter during controlled weight loss in their obese cats. Methods The study was carried out as an e-questionnaire survey addressed to owners of cats starting a weight-loss programme. The e-questionnaire was provided at a single time point after the conclusion of the study (24 weeks). Results Nineteen completed questionnaires were included. Eighteen cats had a lower weight at the end of the weight-loss period, two of which had successfully reached their target weight. Mean weight loss was 13.84% body weight at a rate of 0.53% weight loss/week. Although the perceived QoL was not correlated with weight-loss variables ( P >0.05), it increased over time, even in cats that did not reach their target weight, and was statistically correlated with increased activity ( r = 0.73; P 0.05). Conclusions and relevance Although several difficulties were encountered throughout the study, increased QoL and energy levels in their cats were noticed by owners. A positive perspective on weight-loss programmes is important to keep owners motivated and achieve the target weight in their cats. Furthermore, this survey provides insights into the perceived difficulties of weight-loss regimens in cats. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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