Pathomorphological changes in the liver and internal organs in obese cats
Abstract
Obesity is the accumulation of excessive adipose tissue in the body and is the most common nutritional disorder in pets. Obesity is one of the most prevalent health conditions in companion animals globally. It is associated with premature mortality, metabolic dysfunction, and multiple health conditions across species. Obesity is, therefore, of importance in the field of veterinary medicine. The regulation of adiposity is a homeostatic process vulnerable to disruption by many genetic and environmental factors. Among dogs, cases are found in 22–24 %, and among cats – in 20 % of animals that visited a veterinary clinic. Approximately one-third of cats older than 12 years of age may have a decreased ability to digest fat, whereas one in five may have a compromised ability to digest protein. More than 40 % of dogs between the ages of 5 and 10 years are overweight or obese. Among the risk factors that cause excessive fat deposition is noted: breed, age, sex, sterilization, lifestyle, endocrine diseases, drug treatment and contraception, feeding, social factor, and the number of animals in the household. Obesity, in turn, affects several metabolic processes and is a factor that affects the development of pathological processes: dyslipidemia, hyperlipidemia, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, type 2 diabetes, excessive deposition of fat in the liver and pancreas, coronary heart disease, disease gallbladder, osteoarthritis, urethral sphincter dysfunction, may increase the risk of certain types of cancer. For research, two groups of cats aged 3–7 years were formed, but breed data were not taken into account. Laboratory blood tests confirmed the clinical observations of specialists regarding overweight cats. The pathoanatomical autopsy with subsequent pathohistological studies made it possible to finally confirm the diagnosis of obesity, which was accompanied by fatty dystrophy of internal organs.
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