QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by MacEwen, E. G. Articles by Kurzman, I. D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by MacEwen, E. G. Articles by Kurzman, I. D.

Obesity in the Dog: Role of the Adrenal Steroid Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)^{1 ,2}

Department of Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706

It is estimated that 25–50% of pet dogs are overweight. In rodents and humans the adrenal steroid dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) has been associated with loss of body weight and reduction in total body fat content. We have shown that administration of DHEA results in weight loss in spontaneously obese dogs. DHEA also lowered serum cholesterol, in particular, the low density lipoprotein component of the plasma cholesterol. We hypothesize that treatment of obese dogs with DHEA in combination with a low energy, high fiber diet will result in greater weight loss when compared with dogs on the same diet, without DHEA. In the current study, spontaneously obese dogs were fed a uniform low energy, high fiber diet and then randomized to receive DHEA or placebo. Preliminary results show that the mean total body weight lost for dogs receiving DHEA was 3.59 kg compared with 2.38 kg for dogs receiving placebo (P > 0.05). The percent excess body weight (above ideal body weight) lost for the DHEA group was 65.7 versus 31.4 for the placebo group (P > 0.02). The percent excess body weight lost per month on the study for the DHEA group was 15 versus 8.2 for the placebo group (P = 0.069). Although these results are preliminary, they indicate that DHEA combined with a low energy, high fiber diet enhances the loss of excess body weight compared with diet modification alone.

KEY WORDS: • symposium • dogs • dehydroepiandrosterone • obesity • cholesterol

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 This research was supported in part by the Morris Animal Foundation, Englewood, CO.

³ To whom correspondence should be addressed: Department of Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, 2015 Linden Drive, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				F Labrie Future perspectives of selective estrogen receptor modulators used alone and in combination with DHEA. Endocr. Relat. Cancer, June 1, 2006; 13(2): 335 - 355. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]