Loss of body weight and lean mass in long-stay, hospitalized canine patients
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Date
2023-11-01
Open Access Location
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Wiley‐VCH GmbH
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Abstract
A high prevalence of malnutrition occurs in human hospitals and has been associated with detrimental consequences. By comparison, much less is known in hospitalized veterinary patients. The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of malnutrition and body composition changes in long-stay hospitalised patients using an isotopic dilution technique. An additional objective was to compare the changes in composition with commonly used methods measuring body fat and lean mass. The dogs consumed on average 77.5% of their estimated resting energy requirements during their stay. The majority (78.3%) of dogs lost body weight, of which a greater proportion was lean mass (61.8%) than fat mass (FM) (38.2%). There was a moderate correlation between body condition score and percentage FM measured at admission (Kendall's τ = 0.51; p = 0.002), and at discharge (Kendall's τ = 0.55; p = 0.001). However, there was no correlation between muscle condition score and fat-free mass at either admission or discharge (p > 0.1). Duration of stay was positively associated with loss of body weight (p < 0.001), but was not associated with changes in either lean or FM expressed as a percentage of body weight or in absolute terms (p > 0.1), which was presumed to be explained by small sample size and variation. Food intake was not found to a significant factor for lean or FM loss (p > 0.1). These findings indicate that weight loss is common in hospitalized canine patients, which is not explained by simple under-eating. Other factors such as inflammation and inactivity should be evaluated in future studies to determine their role in influencing muscle and FM changes in hospitalized canine patients.
Description
Keywords
deuterium, dog, fat, hospital, lean, muscle, Humans, Dogs, Animals, Body Weight, Weight Loss, Adipose Tissue, Body Composition, Malnutrition, Dog Diseases
Citation
Leung YB, Cave N, Wester TJ. (2023). Loss of body weight and lean mass in long-stay, hospitalized canine patients.. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl). 107. 6. (pp. 1444-1455).