Diets for overweight cats
Being overweight is currently the most common nutritional problem for cats in developed countries. The latest studies report that 19–29% of cats are overweight and 6–8% are obese.1 Diet, the gut microbiota and various nutritional supplements play an important role in treatment, which is why Advance has developed Advance Weight Balance, a diet for weight management and maintenance in cats intended to treat overweight.
A cat is considered overweight or obese when its weight exceeds its ideal body condition weight by 15% or 30%, respectively. There are several factors, such as inactivity, middle age, being male, castration, age at castration and the animal’s breed, that all increase the chance of a cat becoming obese. Overweight in cats also increases the risk of developing metabolic and endocrine disorders, such as diabetes mellitus, hepatic lipidosis, urinary tract diseases, lameness and skin diseases.1
The intestinal microbiota also plays an important role in obesity and overweight in cats. Supplementing a cat’s diet with prebiotics is known to have a positive effect on its intestinal flora as it can improve gut health and potentially protects the animal from enteric infections.2
ADVANCE has designed Advance Weight Balance, a complete dietary food for adult cats formulated to reduce excess weight and regulate lipid metabolism in the case of hyperlipidaemia. It has a high protein content for healthier weight loss while maintaining optimal muscle mass and is formulated with L-carnitine to help burn fat. Advance Weight Balance also has a low fat content to avert disorders such as fatty liver or hepatic lipidosis, but it still includes essential fatty acids.
Hepatic lipidosis has been reported in cats following a weight loss programme because they are more likely to accumulate fat in the liver due to a lack of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.3
L-Carnitine, which is found in the Advance Weight Balance diet, has been shown to help process fats. The amino acid L-carnitine increases fatty acid oxidation and promotes improved glucose utilisation.
Advance Weight Balance provides cats with a well-adapted diet (high in protein, low in fat, restricted energy input and balanced nutrients and fibres) that helps them lose fat while maintaining muscle mass and avoiding vitamin or mineral deficiencies and hunger pangs.
The outcomes achieved with Advance Veterinary Diets Weight Balance Feline have been clinically demonstrated as 83% of cats lost weight within 3 months.*
*Clinical study. Internal data.
