In vivo assessment of dog subcutaneous fat depots by real time ultrasonography and image analysis

Introduction Obesity is the most common nutritional disorder in dogs and a main health and welfare concern worldwide; it links to a shortened lifespan and increased rate of secondary diseases. Surveillance of dog adiposity is a routine practice and is often estimated from body condition scoring (BCS). But BCS is subjective and fairly sensitive, reducing its utility during weight-loss plans. Substitute approaches, simple, cheap and reproducible, are foreseen.