Bioelectrical impedance and zoometry for body composition analysis in domestic cats

Zoometric measurements and bioelectrical impedance analysis were evaluated as methods of body composition determination in healthy cats. Zoometric and impedance measurements were taken on 22 anesthetized adult cats of various ages, genders, breeds, and body weights. The cats were then euthanatized. The bodies were processed through a tissue homogenizer and free-catch specimens were taken, freeze-dried, and analyzed for total body water, protein, fat, potassium, and ash content. Stepwise regression analysis was implemented to identify statistically significant relationships between the chemically determined dependent variables (total body water, protein, potassium, fat-free mass, fat mass, and percent body fat) and the zoometric measurements, with or without bioelectrical impedance analysis. Statistical analysis revealed high correlations between the dependent variables and the corresponding predicted values of those variables. Body weight alone was a poor predictor of body composition in these cats. On the basis of these findings, we suggest that zoometric and bioelectrical impedance measurements may serve as practical, noninvasive, simple, and accurate methods for estimating body composition in domestic cats.