Metabolic and urinary profiles in normal-weight, overweight and obese dogs: clinical response to an individualised weight loss programme

Loste, Araceli (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Borobia, Marta (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; García, Alberto (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Escobar, Lucía ; Navarro, Laura (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: Canine overweight and obesity mirrors human trends, emphasizing a One Health perspective. This prospective study evaluated haematological, biochemical and urinary parameters, alongside systolic blood pressure (SBP), in client-owned dogs: normal-weight (NW, n = 10), overweight (OW, n = 10) and obese (OB, n = 10). Overweight and obese dogs followed a 150-day caloric restriction programme (high-protein, high-fibre, low-energy) with biweekly veterinary follow-up.

At baseline, triglycerides were significantly higher in OB (126.6 mg/dL) compared to controls (57.6 mg/dL; p < 0.05). While serum total protein, globulin, C-reactive protein and calcium were significantly higher in OB (p < 0.05), mean values remained within clinical reference intervals. Baseline SBP in OB (191.3 mmHg) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in NW. Post-intervention, mean weight loss reached 9.43% (OW) and 9.83% (OB). Success in achieving ideal body condition was higher in OW (87.5%) than OB (30%) (p < 0.05). In obese group, hypertriglyceridaemia normalised (126.6 to 78.4 mg/dl; p < 0.01) and SBP significantly decreased (191.3 to 174 mmHg; p < 0.05). Programme success strongly correlated with improved physical activity (p < 0.05) and quality of life (p < 0.01).

These findings confirm that canine obesity induces metabolic and inflammatory dysregulation, even in apparently healthy dogs. Results demonstrate that structured nutritional programmes can significantly mitigate these alterations, although certain inflammatory markers, like C-reactive protein, may not fully reach control levels within the study timeframe. Notably, clinically relevant improvements occurred before achieving ideal body condition, highlighting the efficacy of early intervention and sustained veterinary-owner engagement in weight management strategies.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2026.106263

Año: 2026

Publicado en: RESEARCH IN VETERINARY SCIENCE 208 (2026), 106263 [17 pp.]
ISSN: 0034-5288

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Area Anatom.Embriol.Humana (Dpto. Anatom.Histolog.Humanas)
Área (Departamento): Área Medicina y Cirugía Animal (Dpto. Patología Animal)