Jm. Scarlett et S. Donoghue, ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN BODY CONDITION AND DISEASE IN CATS, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 212(11), 1998, pp. 1725-1731
Objective-To determine the association between body condition and dise
ase in cats. Design-Prospective study. Sample Population-Information o
n 1,457 cats without major illnesses from 27 veterinary hospitals in t
he northeastern United States. Procedure-Cats that had body conditions
determined from 1991 to 1992, using a set of 6 body condition silhoue
ttes, had their health experiences and body conditions assessed for th
e subsequent 4.5 years. Cats were described by the following 6 body co
nditions: cachectic, lean, optimally lean, optimal weight, heavy, and
obese. Data obtained from medical records and owner interviews were co
llected using standard forms. Associations between body condition and
specific diseases were analyzed. Findings in cats with body conditions
other than optimal were compared with findings in cats with optimal b
ody condition. Results-Compared with optimal weight cats, heavy cats w
ere 2.9 times as likely to be taken to veterinarians because of lamene
ss not associated with cat bite abscesses. Obese cats were also 3.9 ti
mes as likely to develop diabetes mellitus, 2.3 times as likely to dev
elop nonallergic skin conditions, and 4.9 times as likely to develop l
ameness requiring veterinary care. Cats considered thin (cachectic and
lean) were 1.7 times as likely to be presented to veterinary hospital
s for diarrhea. Clinical implications-Results of this study substantia
te reports of health risks associated with excess body weight in cats.
Efforts to reduce weight in heavy and obese cats can lead to reduced
risks of diabetes mellitus, lameness (presumably related to osteoarthr
itis and soft-tissue injuries), and skin problems unrelated to allergi
es. Cachectic and lean cats are more likely to have diarrhea that is n
ot associated with a definitive diagnosis.