METABOLISM

Obesity - Dogs

Major occurence.
35% of dogs suffer from obesity with 3 subtypes :

  • Owner related:
    inappropriate diet
  • Neutering related
  • Endocrine disease related (diabetes, hypercriticism, hyperthyroidism)

Cachexia & Sarcopenia - Dogs

Major occurrences.

Cachexia is mostly related to cancer, cardiac & renal disorders.

Type 2 Diabete - Dogs & Cats

Major occurence.

T2D prevalence vs T1D.

T2D physiopathology in cats is the closest to human T2D.

Interestingly, T2D in cats can be reversible.

Metabolic Syndrome - Dogs

Share same characteristics with Human disorders, except athersclerosis & T2D.

  • The Cat as a Model for Human Obesity and Diabetes

    Obesity is the most common nutritional disorder of cats and is a risk factor for diabetes. Similar to developments in obese people, obese cats show peripheral tissue insulin resistance and may demonstrate glucose intolerance when challenged with pharmacological amounts of glucose. However, they compensate well for the insulin resistance and do not show elevated glucose concentrations when monitored during their regular daily routine, including postprandial periods. This is possible because obese cats in the fasted and postprandial state are able to maintain hepatic insulin sensitivity and decrease endogenous glucose production, which allows them to maintain normoglycemia. Also dissimilar to what is seen in many obese humans, cats do not develop atherosclerosis and clinical hypertension. The time course for progression to overt diabetes of obese cats is unknown. One might speculate that diabetes develops when the liver finally becomes insulin resistant and/or insulin secretion becomes too low to overcome increased glucose production. In addition, amyloid, demonstrated to be deposited in islet of chronically obese cats, may contribute to a reduction in insulin secretion by reducing functional β-cell mass.

    Margarethe Hoenig, Dr.med.vet., Ph.D.

  • Comparative Aspects of Human, Canine, and Feline Obesity and Factors Predicting Progression to Diabetes

    Obesity and diabetes mellitus are common diseases in humans, dogs and cats and their prevalence is increasing. Obesity has been clearly identified as a risk factor for type 2 diabetes in humans and cats but recent data are missing in dogs, although there is evidence that the unprecedented rise in canine obesity in the last decade has led to a rise in canine diabetes of similar magnitude. The insulin resistance of obesity has often been portrayed as major culprit in the loss of glucose control; however, insulin resistance alone is not a good indicator of progression to diabetes in people or pets. A loss of beta cell function is necessary to provide the link to impaired fasting and post-prandial plasma glucose. Increased endogenous glucose output by the liver is also a prerequisite for the increase in fasting blood glucose when non-diabetic obese humans and pets develop diabetes. This may be due to decreased hepatic insulin sensitivity, decreased insulin concentrations, or a combination of both. While inflammation is a major link between obesity and diabetes in humans, there is little evidence that a similar phenomenon exists in cats. In dogs, more studies are needed to examine this important issue.

    Margarethe Hoenig

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