Marie-Anne Hours’s scientific contributions

There are few recent and methodologically robust life expectancy (LE) tables for dogs or cats. This study aimed to generate LE tables for these species with clinical records from >1,000 Banfield Pet hospitals in the USA. Using Sullivan's method, LE tables were generated across survey years 2013–2019, by survey year, and for subpopulations defined by sex, adult body size group (purebred dogs only: toy, small, medium, large and giant), and median body condition score (BCS) over life. The deceased population for each survey year comprised animals with a recorded date of death in that year; survivors had no death date in that year and were confirmed living by a veterinary visit in a subsequent year. The dataset totaled 13,292,929 unique dogs and 2,390,078 unique cats. LE at birth (LEbirth) was 12.69 years (95% CI: 12.68–12.70) for all dogs, 12.71 years (12.67–12.76) for mixed-breed dogs, 11.18 years (11.16–11.20) for cats, and 11.12 (11.09–11.14) for mixed-breed cats. LEbirth increased with decreasing dog size group and increasing survey year 2013 to 2018 for all dog size groups and cats. Female dogs and cats had significantly higher LEbirth than males: 12.76 years (12.75–12.77) vs. 12.63 years (12.62–12.64), and 11.68 years (11.65–11.71) vs. 10.72 years (10.68–10.75), respectively. Obese dogs (BCS 5/5) had a significantly lower LEbirth [11.71 years (11.66–11.77)] than overweight dogs (BCS 4/5) [13.14 years (13.12–13.16)] and dogs with ideal BCS 3/5 [13.18 years (13.16–13.19)]. The LEbirth of cats with BCS 4/5 [13.67 years (13.62–13.71)] was significantly higher than cats with BCS 5/5 [12.56 years (12.45–12.66)] or BCS 3/5 [12.18 years (12.14–12.21)]. These LE tables provide valuable information for veterinarians and pet owners and a foundation for research hypotheses, as well as being a stepping-stone to disease-associated LE tables.

Introduction Feline obesity is a worldwide concern which has recently been formally classified as a disease by the veterinary community. Management involves invoking controlled weight loss by feeding a purpose-formulated food in restricted quantities and altering physical activity. Most weight loss studies conducted in cats have been undertaken in research cat colonies from single geographic locations. The aim of this multi-centre cohort study was to determine the efficacy of a short-term dietary weight loss intervention in overweight pet cats across a range of geographical locations globally. Materials and methods A 3-month (median 13 weeks, inter-quartile range [IQR] 12–15 weeks) weight loss programme was conducted at 188 veterinary practices in 22 countries, and involving 730 cats, 413 of which completed the programme and had complete data available. All were fed commercially available dry or wet weight loss diets, and median energy intake was 53 kcal/kg BW0.711/day. The Royal Canin Ethics Committee approved the study, and owners gave informed consent. Owners completed behavioural questionnaires assessing begging, physical activity and quality of life (QOL). Linear mixed models were used to assess the respective influence of time, age, and initial body condition score (BCS) on weight loss and behavioural observations. Results At baseline, median age was 72 months (range 12–200 months) and median BCS was 8 (range 7–9). In all, 402/413 cats (97%) lost weight (mean 10.6±6.3%) during the programme at a rate of 0.8 ±0.50%/week. Based upon owner questionnaires, activity and QOL improved (both P<0.001), while begging behaviour decreased (P<0.001) during weight loss. The main factor influencing percentage weight loss was geographical location (P<0.001), with cats in North America losing less weight (median 7.2%, IQR: 4.4–10.4%) than those in both Europe (10.7%, 6-8-15.4%) and South America (10.0%, 6.2–15.4%). Differences in weight loss were also observed amongst countries (P<0.001), with cats in Argentina, Germany, and Italy losing more weight than cats in the USA, and cats in Germany also losing more weight than cats in Portugal. Discussion/conclusion Most of the overweight cats enrolled in this international multi-centre study successfully lost weight. The reason for the differences in percentage weight loss amongst geographical locations requires further study.

Complete study dataset. Computer spreadsheet containing study data for the 710 cats in the study. (XLSX)

Checklist for the STROBE statement. The table lists the items of the respective checklist, and the location within the manuscript where they can be found. (DOC)

Dataset from the cats that completed the study. Computer spreadsheet containing study data for the subset of 413 cats completed the whole 5-visit study protocol. (XLSX)

Introduction: Obesity is a global concern in dogs with an increasing prevalence, and effective weight loss solutions are required that work in different geographical regions. The main objective was to conduct an international, multi-centre, weight loss trial to determine the efficacy of a dietary weight loss intervention in obese pet dogs. Methods: A 3-month prospective observational cohort study of weight loss in 926 overweight dogs was conducted at 340 veterinary practices in 27 countries. Commercially available dry or wet weight loss diets were used, with the initial energy allocation being 250-335 kJ/kg target body weight0.75/day (60-80 kcal/kg target body weight0.75/day) depending on sex and neuter status. The primary outcome measure was percentage weight loss; the main secondary outcomes were changes in activity, quality of life, and food-seeking behaviour, which were subjectively determined from owner descriptions. Results: At baseline, median (range) age was 74 (12 to 193) months and median body condition score was 8 (range 7-9). 896 of the 926 dogs (97%) lost weight, with mean weight loss being 11.4 ±5.84%. Sexually intact dogs lost more weight than neutered dogs (P = 0.001), whilst female dogs lost more weight than male dogs (P = 0.007), with the difference being more pronounced in North and South American dogs (median [Q1, Q3]: female: 11.5% [8.5%, 14.5%]; male: 9.1% [6.3%, 12.1%], P = 0.053) compared with those from Europe (female: 12.3% [8.9%, 14.9%]; male: 10.9% [8.6%, 15.4%]). Finally, subjective scores for activity (P<0.001) and quality of life (P<0.001) increased sequentially, whilst scores for food-seeking behaviour decreased sequentially (P<0.001) during the study. Conclusion: This is the largest international multi-centre weight loss study conducted to date in obese dogs. Most dogs lost a clinically significant amount of weight, although there were notable differences between dogs of different sex, neuter status and in different geographical locations.

Complete study dataset. Computer spreadsheet containing study data for the 926 dogs in the study. (XLSX)

Dataset from the subpopulation of dogs undergoing further statistical analysis. Computer spreadsheet containing study data for the subset of 437 dogs that had complied best with the study visit schedule. These data were used to assess the impact of various factors on weight loss. (XLSX)

Checklist for the STROBE statement. The table lists the items of the respective checklist, and the location within the manuscript where they can be found. (DOC)