Evaluation of the oral (13)C-bicarbonate technique for measurements of energy expenditure in dogs before and after body weight reduction

• Published in: Acta veterinaria scandinavica 2014-12, Vol.56, p.87-87
• Main Authors: Larsson, Caroline, Vitger, Anne, Jensen, Rasmus B, Junghans, Peter, Tauson, Anne-Helene
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Basal Metabolism; Bicarbonates - metabolism; Carbon Isotopes - metabolism; Dogs - metabolism; Energy Metabolism; Female; Physiology - methods; Weight Loss
• ISSN: 1751-0147
• DOI: 10.1186/s13028-014-0087-6

Overweight and obesity are the most common nutritional disorders in dogs and may lead to various secondary diseases and decreased lifespan. In obesity research, measurement of energy expenditure (EE) and determination of the energy requirements are essential. The objective with this study was to validate and evaluate the suitability of the oral (13)C-bicarbonate technique (o(13)CBT) for measuring EE in dog obesity studies. A further objective was to investigate the impact of body weight (BW) reduction and changes in body composition on the EE when measured under conditions corresponding to the basal metabolic rate (BMR). The EE in five privately owned, overweight dogs was measured simultaneously with the o(13)CBT and indirect calorimetry (IC) for comparison of the results. Two measurements per dog were performed under the same standardised conditions (i.e. fasted and resting state) at the start, and after completing a 12-week BW reduction program. Additionally, measurements of body composition by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) were conducted at the beginning and at the end of the BW reduction program. There were no differences in EE results obtained by the o(13)CBT and IC. Overweight and the BW reduction did not affect the estimates for the respiratory quotient (RQ) or the recovery factor for the (13)C-tracer (RF), both needed when using the o(13)CBT. The dogs lost 16% (SD ± 2.0) of their initial BW in reduced fat mass (P