VETINDEX

Periódicos Brasileiros em Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia

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Comparação do índice de massa corporal felino com a concentração plasmática de leptina e escore de condição corporal para o diagnóstico de obesidade em gatos domésticos

Cristine Carvalho Barbosa, RenéeFlávia Magalhães Botelho, CamilaSampaio Alves, RaquelJusten Moreira de Souza, Heloisa

Background: Today, obesity is a condition commonly seen in small animal internal medicine. This condition is defined as excess of body fat resulting from increased energy absorption or reduced energy expenditure, and it is classified as a nutritional and metabolic disorder. Obesity results from excessive formation of adipose tissue, and can pose severe consequences to the animal’s health. It can also become an aggravating factor for several diseases, frequently exerting direct effects on morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to evaluate feline body mass index (FBMI), and associate this parameter with body condition score (BCS) and leptin hormone serum levels.Materials, Methods & Results: This study was conducted in a private Veterinary Clinic exclusively dedicated to feline care in the neighborhood of Botafogo, city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Ninety-six feline patients (Felis catus) were randomly selected independent of their gender (male or female - intact or not), breed, or age from cats that were submitted for surgical interventions. The population was then divided into two groups according to FBMI: group 1, with non-obese animals (FBMI < 30%), totaling 53 animals; and group 2, with obese animals (FBMI ≥ 30%), totaling 43 animals. Physical examination was conducted on all animals. During this procedure, the weight of the animals was recorded; obesity was determined subjectively using the BCS, and objectively using plasma leptin concentration as assessed by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Leptin concentration in the plasma of the 96 animals included in this study was 13.81 ± 13.06 ng/mL HE. The average for group 1 was 3.85 ± 3.08 ng/mL HE, while the average for group 2 was 26.08 ± 9.61 ng/mL HE.[...](AU)

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