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Use of Ultrasound in the Measurement of Subcutaneous Fat and Prediction of Total Body Fat in Dogs^{1 ,2 ,3}

Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow Veterinary School, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 1QH, Scotland

An ultrasonographic unit (A-scan mode) has been evaluated as a noninvasive method for estimating body fat in 25 dogs. Six anatomical sites were defined and subcutaneous fat thickness was measured by means of ultrasound and histology. Total body fat was subsequently calculated in 12 dogs. There was a high correlation between histology and ultrasound for the measurement of subcutaneous fat (r = 0.81; P < 0.001). Total body fat was successfully predicted using measurements taken with ultrasound at the lumbar area (r = 0.87; P < 0.001). Measurements of subcutaneous fat thickness from other anatomical sites did not estimate body fat with the same accuracy. These results suggest that ultrasound can reliably measure subcutaneous fat in dogs and that these measurements, when taken from the mid lumbar area, can be used to predict total body fat.

KEY WORDS: • symposium • dogs • subcutaneous fat • ultrasound • obesity

¹ Presented as part of the Waltham International Symposium on Nutrition of Small Companion Animals, at University of California, Davis, CA 95616, on September 4–8, 1990. Guest editors for the symposium were James G. Morris, D'Ann C. Finley and Quinton R. Rogers.

² Presented in part at the First European Congress of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Harrogate, England, April 1990.

³ Purchase of ultrasonic equipment was funded by the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition (Leicestershire, England).

⁴ To whom correspondence should be addressed: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow Veterinary School, Bearsden Road, Glasgow G61 1QH.

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