Use of starting condition score to estimate changes in body weight and composition during weight loss in obese dogs
Abstract
Prior to starting a weight loss programme, target weight (TW) is often estimated, using starting body condition score (BCS). The current study assessed how well such estimates perform in clinical practice. Information on body weight, BCS and body composition was assessed before and after weight loss in 28 obese, client-owned dogs. Median decrease in starting weight per BCS unit was 10% (5-15%), with no significant difference between dogs losing moderate (1-2 BCS points) or marked (3-4 BCS points) amounts of weight (P=0.627). Mean decrease in body fat per BCS unit change was 5% (3-9%). A model based on a change of 10% of starting weight per unit of BCS above ideal (5/9) most closely estimated actual TW, but marked variability was seen. Therefore, although such calculations may provide a guide to final TW in obese dogs, they can either over- or under-estimate the appropriate end point of weight loss.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Using Body Condition Scores, it has been estimated that in the United States, 54% of dogs and 59% of cats are obese or overweight; a study in the United Kingdom reported 65% of adult dogs and 37% of juvenile dogs as being obese or overweight.
“Using Body Condition Scores, it has been estimated that in the United States, 54% of dogs and 59% of cats are obese or overweight. A study in the United Kingdom reported 65% of adult dogs and 37% of juvenile dogs as being obese or overweight [50,51].”
From A One Health Perspective on the Human-Companion Animal Relationship with Emphasis on Zoonotic Aspects. (2020) · cites this paper as [51]
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Overgaauw, P. A. M., Vinke, C. M., van Hagen, M. A. E., & Lipman, L. J. A. (2020) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph17113789 · Cited by 301 · see citing works
“A study in the United Kingdom reported 65% of adult dogs and 37% of juvenile dogs as being obese or overweight [50,51].”
BackgroundGrowth standard charts for monitoring bodyweight in intact domestic shorthair kittens from the USA
Salt, C., German, A. J., Henzel, K. S., & Butterwick, R. F. (2022) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0277531 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“A difference of ±5% was chosen because changes in bodyweight of>5% are typically required for changes in BCS to be seen in dogs [16], and this was assumed to be similar in cats.”
Self-citation
- Authors
- German, A. J., Holden, S. L., Bissot, T., Morris, P. J., & Biourge, V.
- Affiliations
- University of Liverpool (GB)
- Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition (GB)
- Corresponding author
- German, A.J.
- Venue
- Research in Veterinary Science
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2009-10
- Volume
- 87
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 249-254
- ISSN
- 0034-5288 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2008042772
- Cited by
- 48
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 3.11
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Research in Veterinary Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Liverpool
- Royal Canin
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Veterinary Medicine and Surgery
- Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Veterinary Orthopedics and Neurology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Body Composition Measurement Techniques
- Keywords
- canine obesity, body condition score, weight loss, body composition, fat mass, dogs, slimming program
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Body Composition, Body Weight, Dog Diseases, Dogs, Female, Male, Obesity, Weight Loss, Absorptiometry, Photon, Patient Selection
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
