Abstract
Simple SummaryObesity and related diseases are common problems for dogs and inappropriate feeding during development is a contributor to life-long weight issues. Judging the right amount of food to give a growing puppy is challenging and providing a simple recommendation to owners is essential. However, differences in dog size, activity, and many other factors such as neutering can all have a role in impacting the actual energy requirements for growth. Yet, the current feeding guideline for growth (NRC 2006) does not accommodate these factors. Therefore, this study investigated how much a small breed (Norfolk Terrier puppies) requires to maintain growth and a healthy body condition score (BCS) through their first year of life. We found that they required significantly less than suggested by the NRC. Changes in the assessment of appropriate feeding during development are required and this study supports the need to revise the NRC (2006) equation for small breed dogs.An appropriate energy intake for healthy growth can reduce the risk of obesity and co-morbidities, such as orthopaedic diseases. The 2006 National Research Council (NRC) universal equation calculates the energy requirement of growing dogs based on predicted adult body weight, but evidence suggests a revision may be required. This study investigates the energy requirements of seventeen Norfolk terrier puppies over their first year (10 to 52 weeks). Puppies were individually fed complete and balanced diets in amounts to maintain an optimal body condition score (BCS), recording intake daily and body weight and BCS weekly. To monitor health a veterinary examination, haematology and plasma biochemistry and serum measures of bone turnover were undertaken every 12 weeks. Skeletal development was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (26 and 52 weeks). Puppies were clinically healthy with normal skeletal development and healthy growth throughout. The energy intake to achieve this was significantly lower than that predicted by the NRC (2006) equation at all time points, with largest mean difference of 285 kJ/kg0.75 per day at 10 weeks. If fed according to the NRC 2006 equation, dogs would have been in positive energy balance, possibly leading to obesity. These data support a revision to the NRC (2006) equation.
Highlights
Obesity has been declared one of the greatest health challenges of the 21st century in our global pet population
A dog study has shown that 83% of dogs that were overweight by early adulthood had crossed at least two centile lines when tracking their bodyweight through puppyhood using the WALTHAM Puppy Growth Charts [24]
Some dogs deviated from an optimal body condition score (BCS) (4 or 5 out of 9) to a score of 3 or 6, this was corrected through dietary increases or decreases (Figure 2)
Summary
Obesity has been declared one of the greatest health challenges of the 21st century in our global pet population. A number of studies have revealed the scale of the problem in different regions of the world with the prevalence of overweight or obese dogs ranging from 20% to 50% [1,2,3,4,5,6] This excessive bodyweight is linked to a myriad of associated conditions such as orthopaedic diseases [7,8,9,10], cardiorespiratory diseases [11,12], neoplasia [13,14] and diabetes mellitus [15,16,17]. Studies in humans have shown that atypical growth patterns during this critical window of life can predispose to obesity [20,21,22] This predisposition to obesity has been documented in cats where there are recommendations for energy intake to be tightly regulated after neutering to prevent unnecessary weight gain during early life. Healthy growth is essential during this critical timeframe and needs to be closely regulated
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