Obesity-Saving A Life! Don DeForge, VMD-SilverSandsVeterinary.com 29July2017

Obesity in Your Pet
Saving a Life

Dr. Don DeForge
www.SilverSandsVeterinary.com

Can the cure for obesity be just an injection away in Pets and People?

Have scientists at Harvard and MIT found a cure for obesity?

Snipping out bad DNA code could prevent or even cure obesity in those people with a faulty gene, say scientists from two top US universities

Scientists in the US think they may have a found a way to cut out obesity by manipulating DNA Photo: PA

By Sarah Knapton

A cure for obesity could be just an injection away after scientists at Harvard and MIT discovered that a tiny DNA tweak causes the metabolism to burn up excess fat.

Although it was thought that piling on the pounds was largely due to overeating and lack of exercise, researchers now think that genetics play a crucial role in whether fat is stored or used up as energy.

People with higher BMIs (Body Mass Index) often carry a variant of the FTO gene, which has been dubbed the ‘obesity gene.’

Now researchers at Harvard and MIT have discovered that the ‘obesity gene’ switches on two other genes which stop fat being burned up as heat – a process called thermogenesis.

And, crucially they have shown it is possible to turn off those genes using a ground breaking gene editing technique which snips out bad DNA code and replaces it with the correct sequence. The scientists believe the technique could prevent or even cure obesity in those people with the faulty gene and negate the effects of a high-fat diet.

"Obesity has traditionally been seen as the result of an imbalance between the amount of food we eat and how much we exercise, but this view ignores the contribution of genetics to each individual's metabolism," said senior author Professor Manolis Kellis, of MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and of the Broad Institute.

"Knowing the causal variant underlying the obesity association may allow genome editing as a therapeutic avenue for individuals as risk.

"By manipulating this new pathway, we could switch between energy storage and energy dissipation providing new hope for a cure against obesity.”

In Britain, 25 per cent of adults are obese — 12 million people — compared with fewer than three per cent in the Seventies. The proportion is predicted to grow to one in three by 2030 and more than half by 2050.

Weight gain is a risk factor for many health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some cancers. Obesity and diabetes already costs the UK over £5 billion every year which is likely to rise to £50 billion in the next 36 years.

To test the theory that a faulty gene was driving weight gain, researchers gathered fat samples from Europeans carrying both the ‘obesity’ variant and a normal copy of the FTO gene.

They found that in people with the variant one letter of DNA code had been replaced by another. The wrong code was causing genes IRX3 and IRX5 to turn on when they should have been off.

The 100,000 genomes will revolutionise medicine in Britain  Photo: Alamy

Previous studies have shown that IRX3 and IRX5 switch on during times of fat loss in the body, such as during periods of starvation to conserve fat.

Researchers used a new technology called the Crispr/Cas9 system to edit the DNA code and repair the sequence in mice and human cells. The technique sees a modified protein (Cas9) injected into the body where it can snip away specific sections of DNA.

Mice which had been bred to obese saw a reduction of body weight and all major fat stores, and complete resistance to a high-fat diet.

The researchers are now looking at how to make the process useful for humans.

The research was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. 

Pets and People: Fighting Obesity

In people, the most common causes of obesity are overeating and physical inactivity. Ultimately, body weight is the result of genetics, metabolism, environment, behavior, and culture. A person is more likely to develop obesity if one or both parents are obese.  

Is there a genetic link in pets that are obese?  Research is on-going.  Until a link can be established and a way is found to alter the DNA code, it is the veterinarian's responsibility to help control the weight in pets that are obese or becoming obese through diet and counseling.  

It is hard to exercise the overweight cat population but calorie control is always possible.  It is dangerous to decrease calorie intake on your own. 

Be guided by your veterinarian.  Have the proper testing performed prior to dieting.  Have your doctor examine your pet's thyroid function with a clinical laboratory Thyroid Profile.  Have a general health profile performed along with hematology to be certain it is safe to proceed with a restricted calorie diet.  Never starve a pet to lose weight.  With the counsel of your local doctor of veterinary medicine weight can be lost safely.

Risk Factors in the Obese Pet

The common risk factors in people who are obese are also seen in our pets.

• Heart disease and stroke.
• High blood pressure.
• Diabetes.
• Some cancers.
• Gallbladder disease and gallstones.
• Osteoarthritis.
• Shorter life expectancy.
• Breathing problems,
• Severe joint pain

We Love Our Pets

We love our pets and want them to have long lives that have quality days......... without pain or discomfort.  It is not easy to control weight.  Ask your doctor of veterinary medicine about the diet and treats that are the safest for your pet.

Begin your E-Journal of weight control today.  Allow your doctor, after the proper pre-diet testing has been performed, to set calorie goals.  If goals are not set it is hard to control weight gain and allow weight loss.  Remember..... each life stage must have a special dietary consideration.  

Do not be fooled by commercial diets that carry the name natural, organic, grain-free, or vegetarian labels.  The diet must be perfectly balance.  The calories must be measured and when possible safe exercise programs must be initiated.

The walk you take with your dog each day is not only good for your dog but good for you!

If you feel you have reached a point where you need extra help have your regular doctor of veterinary medicine set up a consult for you with a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition.  Take a moment and read the excellent ideas from a Board Certified Nutritionist below. 

by Deborah E. Linder, DVM, MS, DACVN

JULY 21, 2017

IN

Whenever you feel stuck and weight loss is not occurring, try talking with your veterinarian or the veterinary nurses at your primary care veterinarian’s office for more tips and strategies that could work best for your pet. Always check in before making changes to your pet’s diet or weight loss plan!

1. How do I get my pet to stop begging all the time?
   • Check with your vet, but if you’re meeting your pet’s calorie and nutrient requirements, this may just be them thinking they need more than they do!
   • A tired pet is a happy pet! Substitute eating or treat times for other social activities like grooming, walking, agility, etc.
   • Divide up a portion of the diet to use as treats instead of meals.
   • Divide the food into more frequent, smaller meals.
2. My pet cries all night!
   • Cats in particular like to eat at night, so set up feedings right before bedtime.
   • Set up automatic timed feeders to go off during the night.
   • Provide hidden toys or treats that your pets can look for throughout the night.
   • Make sure you don’t reward the behavior with attention or food – either put a plan in motion to avoid it entirely, or ignore it, but never reward it.
3. My pet steals my other pets’ food!
   • Consider separate meal feeding options.
   • Change food for all pets if possible.
   • Offer food puzzles to slow down and separate feedings.
   • Use products that restrict food access based on a magnetic collar.
4. What if my pet won’t eat the new food?
• Talk with your vet about diet alternatives with different textures and moisture content.
• Use treat allowance of up to 10% of the overall calories of the diet as a palatability enhancer.
• Gradually introduce a new food over one week.
• Offer the new food side-by-side with the current diet, with gradual removal of the usual food.
• Avoid offering alternatives if the pet skips a meal; however, do not allow cats to go longer than 24 hours without consuming any meals.

Fatty Liver Disease in Cats

Hepatic Lipidosis-

Starvation diets or non-acceptance of new diets can cause fatty liver disease in cats.  Fatty liver disease is serious and can cause shock and death in cats.  Never be fearful of a weight loss program guided by your doctor of veterinary medicine.  Do not try to go it alone for the safety of the cat that you love!

Introduction of a new diet without appropriate slow weaning or acclimatization can be dangerous. You should never force your cat to go “cold turkey” and change your cat’s diet acutely. As we all know, cats don’t tolerate sudden change well, and diet changes should always be transitioned slowly over several days to weeks.  Always speak to your veterinarian-local doctor of veterinary medicine- before changing your cat’s diet!

The Steps to Success in controlling obesity:

• Consult with your local doctor of veterinary medicine about a weight control program that is specific for your pet's life stage
• Run the pre-dieting laboratory work recommended by your doctor
• If your local doctor of veterinary medicine recommends special imaging such as an abdominal ultrasound or standard x-rays before dieting have these tests also performed
• Have your pet's blood pressure checked
• Discuss Thyroid Testing prior to dieting
• Set up an Exercise Program that is initiated by your local doctor of veterinary medicine-stick with it!
• Set up a calorie counter in your E-Journal or Smart Phone for your pet
• With cats-- be sure you do not "cold turkey" from a regular diet to a low calorie diet that could lead to inappetance and fatty liver disease
• Set weight loss goals
• Exercise with your pet-this is different than exercise for your pet!
• Never get discouraged!
• Consult with a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition-- with a referral from your local doctor of veterinary medicine-- if weight loss cannot be accomplished
• Stay optimistic-weight loss is a long arduous road in humans as well as in the animal obese state!

 Acknowledgment:

Many times in life we fail to remember our mentors.  I have been blessed with many in my four decades as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.  One of those mentors is Dr. Ernie Ward...."A Pioneer in the Management of Pet Obesity in the United States"!  He has written a plethora of articles on the overweight pet and has lectured internationally on the subject.  He once wrote--concerning pet obesity--"Within your hands, you have the power to make changes that will help your pet live longer; develop fewer diseases; and increase the likelihood of aging with vigor and grace..... the way nature intended."  A "tip of the hat" to my friend, Dr. Ernie Ward.


Questions:

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Stay Healthy and Happy!

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