ArticleBMC veterinary research2024
Effects of a physical exercise programme on bodyweight, body condition score and chest, abdominal and thigh circumferences in dogs.
Article in BMC veterinary research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Efficacy of bedinvetmab on pain, activity, and body composition in obese dogs with osteoarthritis: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.Veterinary world · 2026Article
- Bonded Green Exercise: A One Health Framework for Shared Nature-Based Physical Activity in the Human-Dog Dyad.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Article
- Quantitative genetic analysis of respiratory function and related traits in Bulldogs, French Bulldogs and Pugs.PloS one · 2026Article
- Effects of a joint outdoor exercise program for dog owners and dogs on physical activity, sedentary time and sleep-related behaviors.PloS one · 2026Article
- Intra- and inter-observer reliability of girth measurements of the neck, chest, and abdomen in dogs.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2025Article
- Objective measurements of skinfold thickness with a caliper show a significant relationship to total body fat percentage in dogs.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundResearch on the effects of physical exercise on canine body composition is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a physical exercise programme on bodyweight, body condition score (BCS) and chest, abdominal and thigh circumferences in dogs. Twenty-one healthy dogs of different breeds exercised together with their owners during an eight-week programme consisting of jogging and strength exercises. Standardised measurements were performed in triplicates with a measuring tape on standing dogs. Chest circumference was measured at three anatomical locations, abdomen at two and thigh at one. Data on bodyweight, BCS (9-point scale) and circumferences were analysed with mixed model repeated measures analyses to evaluate changes after the programme and effects of target distance.
resultsSeven dog owners choose a target distance of 2 km and 14 owners choose 5-10 km. Mean BCS decreased (P = 0.007) after the programme (5.1 ± 0.9 vs. 4.7 ± 0.6) but there was no effect of target distance. Almost all chest and abdominal circumference measurements decreased (P ≤ 0.007) with the 2 km group driving the reduction in chest circumference and the 5-10 km group driving the reduction in abdominal circumference. In contrast, thigh circumference (28.8 ± 0.4 vs. 30.2 ± 0.4) increased (P = 0.007) while bodyweight was maintained. There were positive correlations between BCS and abdominal/chest ratios before and after the programme (Pearson correlation; R square ≤ 0.43, P ≤ 0.0012) but the mean ratio remained constant.
conclusionsResults indicated a redistribution between total body fat and muscle mass in body composition of normal weight to slightly overweight dogs after the physical exercise programme. The use of bodyweight alone was not a reliable evaluation method to complement the BCS assessment. However, repeated measurements of chest, abdominal and thigh circumference might aid in the assessment of body composition in dogs performing physical exercise. Further research should include a control group and objective evaluations of total body fat and lean mass, in order to investigate the effectiveness of physical exercise as a freestanding method for decreasing BCS and increasing muscle mass in overweight dogs.
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