Disorders In Cats Research Articles

Successful treatment of a Himalayan cat with feline orofacial pain syndrome

AbstractFeline orofacial pain syndrome is a neuropathic pain disorder in cats, characterised by oral discomfort and tongue self‐mutilation. The pathogenesis of feline orofacial pain syndrome remains unclear, but trigger factors such as dental disease and environmental stress have been described. Feline orofacial pain syndrome is a diagnosis of exclusion, and suggested treatment includes administration of non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory agents, opioids and adjuvant drugs for analgesia. This case report describes a 4‐year‐old female Himalayan cat with anorexia, ranula and unilateral lesions of the tongue. Clinical signs ranged from pawing at the mouth to tongue self‐mutilation during severe pain attacks. Although no dental disease was present, a dominant and suppressive partner cat may have had a stressful influence. First‐line treatment with non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs and opioids could not prevent further pain attacks. Successful treatment was achieved with administration of pregabalin and minimisation of potential stress factors. No clinical signs of pain were observed in a follow‐up period of 2 years.

The effects of gastrointestinal diet therapy for chronic pathologies of the digestive system in cats

Gastroeintestinal diseases are one of the most common groups of diseases among small domestic animals. The gastro-intestinal tract includes the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, small intestine and large intestine. General signs of digestive system disorders in cats with diseases of the digestive tract are vomiting, regurgitation, capricious appetite, as well as various defecation disorders: diarrhea, coprostasis, various inclusions in feces (blood, mucus). Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract of a chronic nature often involve the manifestation of symptoms on an ongoing basis or are recur-rent in nature. Chronic gastritis, enteropathy, pancreatitis require specialized diets that normalize the functioning of the digestive tract and help improve digestive function. These therapeutic complete diets are presented in ready-made feeds in dry (pellets) and wet (pates, pouches) variations from many manufacturers of industrial feeds. Dietary therapy is required long-term or lifelong; during remission it is the basis in the treatment of chronic patients. The compositions of these diets take into account the physiological and specific needs of the animal, and are also developed on the basis of easily digestible ingredients and a reduced amount of fat, but completely replenishing the required amount of calories.

Unbiased serum metabolomic analysis in cats with naturally occurring chronic enteropathies before and after medical intervention

Chronic enteropathies (CE) are common disorders in cats and the differentiation between the two main underlying diseases, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and low-grade intestinal T-cell lymphoma (LGITL), can be challenging. Characterization of the serum metabolome could provide further information on alterations of disease-associated metabolic pathways and may identify diagnostic or therapeutic targets. Unbiased metabolomics analysis of serum from 28 cats with CE (14 cats with IBD, 14 cats with LGITL) and 14 healthy controls identified 1,007 named metabolites, of which 129 were significantly different in cats with CE compared to healthy controls at baseline. Random Forest analysis revealed a predictive accuracy of 90% for differentiating controls from cats with chronic enteropathy. Metabolic pathways found to be significantly altered included phospholipids, amino acids, thiamine, and tryptophan metabolism. Several metabolites were found to be significantly different between cats with IBD versus LGITL, including several sphingolipids, phosphatidylcholine 40:7, uridine, pinitol, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, and glucuronic acid. However, random forest analysis revealed a poor group predictive accuracy of 60% for the differentiation of IBD from LGITL. Of 129 compounds found to be significantly different between healthy cats and cats with CE at baseline, 58 remained different following treatment.

Dermoide conjuntival em um gato: relato de caso

ABSTRACT A dermoid is the presence of normal skin in an abnormal place. A mixed-breed, male, 4-month-old cat was presented with a history of ocular discomfort in the right eye. Ophthalmic examination on the right eye revealed lacrimation, blepharospasm, ocular discomfort and mild conjunctival hyperaemia. A mass with hair with a diameter of 5 mm on the temporal part of the bulbar conjunctiva was observed. Surgical excision of the mass was recommended. Histopathology of the excised tissue confirmed the diagnosis of a dermoid. There was no evidence of lesion recurrence 12 months after surgery. In the present case, complete surgical excision of the dermoid was curative. Although rare, dermoid should be included in the differential diagnosis of conjunctival disorders in cats.

ACVIM Consensus Statement on the management of status epilepticus and cluster seizures in dogs and cats.

Seizure emergencies (ie, status epilepticus [SE] and cluster seizures [CS]), are common challenging disorders with complex pathophysiology, rapidly progressive drug-resistant and self-sustaining character, and high morbidity and mortality. Current treatment approaches are characterized by considerable variations, but official guidelines are lacking. To establish evidence-based guidelines and an agreement among board-certified specialists for the appropriate management of SE and CS in dogs and cats. None. A panel of 5 specialists was formed to assess and summarize evidence in the peer-reviewed literature with the aim to establish consensus clinical recommendations. Evidence from veterinary pharmacokinetic studies, basic research, and human medicine also was used to support the panel's recommendations, especially for the interventions where veterinary clinical evidence was lacking. The majority of the evidence was on the first-line management (ie, benzodiazepines and their various administration routes) in both species. Overall, there was less evidence available on the management of emergency seizure disorders in cats in contrast to dogs. Most recommendations made by the panel were supported by a combination of a moderate level of veterinary clinical evidence and pharmacokinetic data as well as studies in humans and basic research studies. Successful management of seizure emergencies should include an early, rapid, and stage-based treatment approach consisting of interventions with moderate to preferably high ACVIM recommendations; management of complications and underlying causes related to seizure emergencies should accompany antiseizure medications.

Beta-mannosidosis in a domestic cat associated with a missense variant in MANBA

A 6-month-old cat of unknown ancestry presented for a neurologic evaluation due to progressive motor impairment. Complete physical and neurologic examinations suggested the disorder was likely to be hereditary, although the signs were not consistent with any previously described inherited disorders in cats. Due to the progression of disease signs including severely impaired motor function and cognitive decline, the cat was euthanized at approximately 10.5 months of age. Whole genome sequence analysis identified a homozygous missense variant c.2506G > A in MANBA that predicts a p.Gly836Arg alteration in the encoded lysosomal enzyme β -mannosidase. This variant was not present in the whole genome or whole exome sequences of any of the 424 cats represented in the 99 Lives Cat Genome dataset. β -Mannosidase enzyme activity was undetectable in brain tissue homogenates from the affected cat, whereas α-mannosidase enzyme activities were elevated compared to an unaffected cat. Postmortem examination of brain and retinal tissues revealed massive accumulations of vacuolar inclusions in most cells, similar to those reported in animals of other species with hereditary β -mannosidosis. Based on these findings, the cat likely suffered from β -mannosidosis due to the abolition of β -mannosidase activity associated with the p.Gly836Arg amino acid substitution. p.Gly836 is located in the C-terminal region of the protein and was not previously known to be involved in modulating enzyme activity. In addition to the vacuolar inclusions, some cells in the brain of the affected cat contained inclusions that exhibited lipofuscin-like autofluorescence. Electron microscopic examinations suggested these inclusions formed via an autophagy-like process.

Corneal Diseases in Cats: A Retrospective Study of 477 Cases (2015-2020)

Corneal diseases are common in cats. If not diagnosed and treated in time, they can cause vision loss or even eye loss.This retrospective study aimed to introduce corneal disorders in cats, briefly explaining the therapeutic management of these disorders, and exploring the possibility of breed, age, and sex predisposition. In the study, a total of 477 cats, referred to the clinics of Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and Department of Surgery between 2015-2020 with ophthalmological complaints and diagnosed with and treated for corneal disorders, were retrospectively evaluated. The most commonly encountered corneal disease was corneal ulcers (n=208, 43.60%), followed in descending order by corneal sequestrum (n=71, 14.8%), and corneal opacities (n=57, 11.9%) due to infection-associated symblepharon. Overall prevalence rates of ulcerative keratitis and non-ulcerative keratitis were 59.6% and 35.9%, respectively, in the study’s entire cat population. The congenital corneal diseases, such as persistent pupillary membrane (PPM) and corneal opacity due to endothelial dystrophy and acquired corneal disorders, such as corneal degeneration, scarring, and endothelial degeneration, were less frequently monitored conditions. In this study, it was seen that some corneal diseases in cats are more common in cats of certain breeds and ages, and corneal diseases are diseases that can be treated with early diagnosis. It has been noted that certain diseases are of infectious origin and are more likely to be treatable conditions.

Combining ultrasound radiomics, complete blood count, and serum biochemical biomarkers for diagnosing intestinal disorders in cats using machine learning.

This retrospective analytical observational cohort study aimed to model and predict the classification of feline intestinal diseases from segmentations of a transverse section from small intestine ultrasound (US) image, complete blood count (CBC), and serum biochemical profile data using a variety of machine-learning approaches. In 149 cats from three institutions, images were obtained from cats with biopsy-confirmed small cell epitheliotropic lymphoma (lymphoma), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), no pathology ("healthy"), and other conditions (warrant a biopsy for further diagnosis). CBC, blood serum chemistry, small intestinal ultrasound, and small intestinal biopsy were obtained within a 2-week interval. CBC and serum biomarkers and radiomic features were combined for modeling. Four classification schemes were investigated: (1) normal versus abnormal; (2) warranting or not warranting a biopsy; (3) lymphoma, IBD, healthy, or other conditions; and (4) lymphoma, IBD, or other conditions. Two feature selection methods were used to identify the top 3, 5, 10, and 20 features, and six machine learning models were trained. The average (95% CI) performance of models for all combinations of features, numbers of features, and types of classifiers was 0.886 (0.871-0.912) for Model 1 (normal vs. abnormal), 0.751 (0.735-0.818) for Model 2 (biopsy vs. no biopsy), 0.504 (0.450-0.556) for Model 3 (lymphoma, IBD, healthy, or other), and 0.531 (0.426-0.589), for Model 4 (lymphoma, IBD, or other). Our findings suggest model accuracies above 0.85 can be achieved in Model 1 and 2, and that including CBC and biochemistry data with US radiomics data did not significantly improve accuracy in our models.

A study of the most common disorders diagnosed in pet cats in the UK

Cats are a hugely popular pet in the UK, so greater awareness of common disorders affecting owned cats would assist owners to make better healthcare decisions. This article summarises a recent paper reporting on the most commonly diagnosed disorders in cats within VetCompass during 2019, with dental and obesity conditions at top of the list. Veterinary teams can improve feline health and welfare by sharing this information with owners.

Periodontal disease in cats under primary veterinary care in the UK: frequency and risk factors.

Periodontal disease is a multifactorial inflammatory disease that can have major welfare implications in cats. This study aimed to report the frequency and demographic risk factors of periodontal disease and to explore associations with common comorbid disorders in cats in the UK. The study included a random sample of 18,249 cats obtained from 1,255,130 cats under primary care during 2019 from clinics participating in the VetCompass programme. All disorders recorded during 2019 were extracted and reported. Risk factor and comorbid disorder analysis used multivariable logistic regression modelling. Periodontal disease had a 1-year period prevalence of 15.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 14.72-15.76). Breeds with the highest prevalence included Siamese (18.7%, 95% CI 12.24-26.72) and Maine Coon (16.7%, 95% CI 11.37-23.18). The median age of cats with periodontal disease (9.47 years, interquartile range [IQR] 5.96-12.97) was higher than for cats without periodontal disease (4.94 years, IQR 1.95-9.51; P <0.001). Increasing adult body weight, increasing age and sex-neuter status were significantly associated with rising odds of periodontal disease. Cats with periodontal disease had a higher median count of comorbid disorders per individual cat (3, IQR 2-4, range 1-14) than cats without periodontal disease (1, IQR 0-2, range 0-15; P <0.001). Cats with periodontal disease had 1.79 times the odds (95% CI 1.62-1.99, P <0.001) of diagnosis with at least one comorbid disorder disease than cats without periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is the most common specific diagnosis in cats and is confirmed as a leading health issue in cats. Ageing is identified as the strongest predictor of periodontal disease risk in cats, suggesting the potential for increasing health gains from emphasis on dental care and health in cats as they age. The study offers evidence on a close link between periodontal disease and reduced overall health in cats.

Hipospadia em dois gatos - relato de caso

ABSTRACT Hypospadias is an uncommon sexual development disorder in cats, in which the urethral opening is not in its anatomical location on the penis. The purpose of this report is to describe two cases of hypospadias in the feline species. The first cat was asymptomatic, had a history of bacterial cystitis, and was diagnosed with perineal hypospadias at an appointment for preoperative evaluation of orchiectomy. The second cat had clinical signs of dysuria and pollakiuria for 30 days and had glandular hypospadias. Both cats showed abnormalities in the urinalysis which were suggestive of lower urinary tract disease. For both cases, clinical treatment with antibiotic therapy was performed. In the first patient, surgical treatment consisted of orchiectomy, while in the second animal a perineal urethrostomy and orchiectomy were performed. The cats had a satisfactory recovery after the treatments. Performing a thorough physical examination is essential to diagnose cases of hypospadias and choose the best treatment for each patient.

Commonly diagnosed disorders in domestic cats in the UK and their associations with sex and age.

The objectives of this study were to generate a robust evidence base on the prevalence of common disorders in cats and develop a deeper understanding of disorder associations with sex and age that could offer important opportunities for targeted veterinary care to improve feline health and welfare. A random sample of 18,249 cats was obtained from 1,255,130 cats under primary care during 2019 within VetCompass, an epidemiological research programme based on anonymised primary care veterinary clinical records. All disorders recorded during 2019 were extracted and reported, and associations with sex and age were examined. The most prevalent disorders were periodontal disease (n = 2780 [15.2%], 95% confidence interval [CI] 14.72-15.76), obesity (n = 2114 [11.6%], 95% CI 11.12-12.06) and dental disease (n = 1502 [8.2%], 95% CI 7.84-8.64). Compared with male cats, females had an increased prevalence of poor quality of life, postoperative complications and hyperthyroidism, among others. Male cats had a higher prevalence of periodontal disease, road traffic accident (RTA) and obesity. Younger cats (<8 years) had an increased prevalence of cat bite abscess, flea infestation and RTA, while older cats (⩾8 years) had increased prevalence of lameness, cystitis and dental disease, among others. These findings suggest that the veterinary profession needs to engage more effectively in informing owners on common preventable disorders (ie, obesity and dental disease). This new information can contribute to more targeted health surveillance and more effective veterinary interventions to promote improved health and welfare in pet cats. Large-scale collection and analysis of anonymised veterinary clinical records offer an important clinical resource for research.

Role of blood beta-hydroxybutyric acid estimation as a diagnostic marker of feline hepatic lipidosis

Feline hepatic lipidosis (FHL), characterised by an accumulation of triglycerides in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes, is a common and potentially fatal liver disorder in cats. Hepatic lipidosis in cats can develop due to any condition that will impair nutrient uptake and is often presented with non-specific clinical signs. The present study describes the diagnosis of FHL based on clinicobiochemical, ultrasonographic, and cytological changes and evaluates the diagnostic utility of blood beta-hydroxybutyric acid (βHBA) estimation in FHL. Anorexia, weight loss, lethargy, vomiting, dehydration, and jaundice were the common clinical findings in cats with hepatic lipidosis. Serum biochemical evaluation revealed elevations in alkaline phosphatase (ALP), triglycerides, glucose, and total bilirubin. Ultrasonography revealed an enlarged hyperechoic liver. Fine-needle aspiration cytology of the liver revealed mild to severe vacuolation in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes. Blood beta-hydroxybutyric acid levels were found higher in cats with hepatic lipidosis than in healthy cats and cats with other hepatic disorders. Therefore, βHBA estimation, being a quick and non-invasive method, could be considered as a diagnostic marker in the early diagnosis of FHL.

Evaluation of right ventricle echocardiographic variables in apparently healthy domestic shorthair cats.

Right ventricular structural and functional changes result from many cardiovascular disorders in cats. Accordingly, echocardiographic evaluation of the size and function of the right ventricle (RV) provides important prognostic information in many conditions affecting the right heart. Therefore, detection of these changes is clinically important and needs reference values to ease the diagnosis. The present study was designed to calculate structural and functional right ventricular variables in 10 apparently healthy cats (six males and four females, average age 1 year old and body weight 2.70 - 4.80 kg) with no sedation. For this purpose, The minimum, maximum, mean ± standard error of the mean of right ventricle internal dimension in systole and diastole (cm), right ventricle free wall thickness in systole and diastole (cm), fractional shortening (%), right ventricle volume in systole and diastole (mL), right ventricle area in systole and diastole (cm2), ejection fraction (%) and fractional area change (%) were measured and reported. Descriptive statistics were provided for all calculated variables. Statistical correlation of the collected variables with body weight, gender and heart rate were analyzed. Results showed that there is a significant correlation between heart rate with body weight and between systolic and diastolic RV volumes with gender. The results of the present study would help clinicians in the diagnosis of the right heart changes in DSH cats.

Intra- and interobserver assessments of intestinal wall thickness and segmentations from transverse sections of feline abdominal ultrasound images.

Measurements of intestinal wall thicknesses from ultrasound imaging (US) are routinely used to support diagnoses of intestinal disorders in cats, however published studies describing observer agreement are currently lacking. The aim of this retrospective, observer agreement study was to quantify inter- and intraobserver repeatability and agreement in the measurement of intestinal wall layer thicknesses and the segmentation of transverse sections of small intestines in US images of 20 cats. Intestinal wall layer thickness measurements of the mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, serosa layer, and total thickness of these layers were performed on five cats with small cell epitheliotropic lymphoma, five with inflammatory bowel disease, and 10 with other conditions. Thickness measurements and the segmentation encompassing the serosa layer were obtained from five observers four times non-sequentially. The average standard deviation in thickness measurements (95% confidence interval) in the mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, serosa, and total thickness were 0.35 (0.07-0.95), 0.24 (0.07-0.52), 0.22 (0.06-0.49), 0.20 (0.05-0.49), and 0.57 (0.11-1.60) mm, respectively. The average intraclass correlation coefficients, which estimates the degree of consistency in thickness measurements and segmentation areas for each observer, ranged from 0.355 to 0.870 and 0.850 to 0.993, respectively. The interclass correlation coefficient, which estimates the degree of consistency when measuring a thickness or segmentation area over all observers ranged from 0.115 to 0.753, and 0.811 to 0.902, respectively. The overall average Dice Coefficient, which estimates the extent of overlap of the segmentations for all observers was 0.957 (0.933 to 0.972). Our results suggest segmentations of small intestines have a higher interobserver agreement than measurements of intestinal wall thicknesses.

Association of recessive c.430G>A (p.(Gly144Arg)) thyroid peroxidase variant with primary congenital hypothyroidism in cats.

BackgroundPrimary congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is a rare endocrine disorder in cats with a largely unknown genetic cause.ObjectivesDescribe the clinical presentation of CH in 11 affected cats and identify the causal genetic variant.AnimalsEleven CH‐cats from 10 unrelated families, 11 CH‐free family members, 21 unrelated CH‐free cats, and 155 unrelated nondiagnosed cats from different breeds.MethodsCase control study of CH‐cats and their siblings (2019‐2021). Diagnosis was based on low to low‐normal serum thyroxine (T4) concentrations, high thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations and clinical signs compatible with CH. We identified the causal variant using Sanger sequencing, genotyping via PCR‐RFLP and variant interpretation using ACMG/AMP guidelines.ResultsAll CH‐cats (5 weeks‐8 years) had disproportionate dwarfism. A goiter was not palpable in all. Thyroid scintigraphy with radiopertechnetate showed abnormally high uptake by thyroid glands, whereas scintigraphy with radioiodine showed abnormally low uptake, compatible with a defect in iodine organification by thyroid peroxidase (TPO). All cases were homozygous for TPO variant XM_006930524.4:c.430G>A(p.(Gly144Arg)), while none of the CH‐free cats were. All sampled parents were heterozygous for this recessive variant. This variant was found in 15 cat breeds with an estimated allele frequency of 9%.Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceDisproportionate dwarfism, abnormally high TSH and abnormally low to low‐normal T4 concentrations are diagnostic for CH in cats. All cases had dyshormonogenesis demonstrated by thyroid scintigraphy. This novel TPO missense variant (not described in humans) causes CH in cats and awareness of it can assist in diagnosis and breeding.

The role of connective tissue biopolymers in the pathogenesis of dog bronchopneunmonia and cat brochnial asthma

The aim: to analyze the pathogenetic role of connective tissue biopolymers in canine pneumonia and feline asthma.&#x0D; Materials and methods. The study was conducted by analyzing the sources of scientific literature: PubMed, Elsevier, electronic resources of the National Library, named after V.I. Vernadsky and the results of our own scientific and clinical experience.&#x0D; Results. Studies on the pathogenetic justification of the role of biochemical indicators of the connective tissue in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the respiratory system of dogs and cats were conducted. This is due to the need to expand knowledge about the peculiarities of the course, to determine the leading pathogenetic links of the most common pathologies –bronchopneumonia and bronchial asthma, which are found in clinical veterinary practice.&#x0D; Conclusions. In bronchopneumonia of dogs on the background of severe clinical symptoms (cough, fever, wheezing in the lungs), radiological signs (inhomogeneous compaction of the lung tissue, lack of clear contours of the bronchi), anemic syndrome, general and neutrophilic leukocytosis, lymphocytopenia, hypoalbuminemia, dysproteinemia (increased concentration of α2- and β-globulins in the blood serum), hypercholesterolemia, hyper-β-lipoproteinemia, hyperfermentemia (increased activity of AST and alkaline phosphatase,) there is an increase in serum glycoproteins and chondroitin sulfates, sialic acids, total glycosaminoglycans (GAG) due to the chondroitin-4-sulfate fraction; urinary excretion of oxyproline and uronic acids increases. Disorders of connective tissue metabolism in dogs with bronchopneumonia are caused by an acute inflammatory process in the lungs with the development of pulmonary fibrosis.&#x0D; Bronchial asthma in cats is manifested by intermittent cough, shortness of breath, hypochromic normocytic anemia, leukocytosis, eosinophilia and lymphocytopenia, increased serum activity of AST and alkaline phosphatase, haptoglobin content, glial acid concentration sulfate; urinary excretion of oxyproline and uronic acids increases. Connective tissue disorders in cats with bronchial asthma are caused by increased mucus excretion with a high content of GAG, as well as chronic inflammation of the bronchial mucosa and their fibrosis

Roles of Probiotics in Animal Health

Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms consumed by humans and animals that affect the intestinal microflora qualitatively or quantitatively or trigger the beneficial effects of the immune system. The discovery of probiotics and the beginning of studies date back to the end of the 19th century. Afterwards, these studies continue on the microorganisms used as probiotics, selection criteria and probiotic microorganisms in the animal microbiota. In today's probiotics are used as immune system modulation and protection against pathogenic microorganisms at the veterinary medicine. In recent studies against gastrointestinal system disorders in cats, dogs and poultry and on the immune system before or after treatment, probiotic applications have been found to be successful in ruminants, especially in mastitis cases. Due to important problems caused by the use of antibiotics in animal breeding, such as the increase in populations of antibiotic resistant bacteria, it seems possible to use the latest probiotic applications as an alternative to antibiotics, especially for prophylaxis. In this review, the effectiveness of probiotic microorganisms on the basis of diseases and their effects on the immune system are discussed together with current studies.

Korelasi antara jenis pakan komersial dengan jenis kristal pada kasus kucing flutd (feline lower urinary tract disease) di rumah sakit hewan dinas peternakan Jawa Timur

Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is a term used to describe various causes of lower urinary tract disorders in cats which include idiopathic, urolithiasis, urinary tract infections, anatomical and neurological disorders. Use of commercial feed is one of the causes of Flutd formation. This study was to determine the correlation between commercial feed types and crystal types in the case of FLUTD cats at the Animal Hospital of East Java Province. The sample is primary data obtained directly by collection of fresh urine and through interviews with animal owners. As many as 30 fresh urine samples were sedimented and then observed under a microscope. The results of observations of urine sedimentation with a microscope showed that 16 cats had crystals in their urine. The highest percentage of struvite crystals was 12 cats (40%). Meanwhile, in 14 cats (46.7%) no crystals were found in the urine. It is known that the sensitivity of the urine sedimentation test is 64% and the specificity is 97%. There are different types of crystals in commercial feed with the same brand. the same brand of commercial feed can produce different types of crystals. This is due to many other factors that trigger the formation of crystallization. The urine sedimentation test is very accurate to detect cases of FLUTD and crystals in the urine

Hyperthyroidism in the Domestic Cat (Felis Catus): Informed Treatment Choice Based on Survival Analysis

Abstract Hyperthyroidism is the most frequently diagnosed endocrine disorder in cats. Therapy may include pharmacological, surgical (thyroidectomy), radioactive (iodine), and dietary treatment. The choice of treatment is believed to be strongly influenced by the veterinarian’s experience, level of education, and knowledge of the current scientific literature. The history of survival rates can affect the decision for treatment by both the veterinarian and the owner. This study aimed to explore the longevity in cats diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and to identify significant variables which affect survival rates by using retrospective data from the practice. A multivariate Cox regression was applied with the following results: surgical thyroidectomy and methimazole medication produced similar longevity (median 23.5 months, P&gt;0.05); Domestic Short Hair cats survived longer than pure breeds (median 27.2 vs 9.4 months, P&lt;0.05); as do cats without chronic renal disease (median 28.1 vs 6.2 months, P&lt;0.001); and those with low activities of alanine aminotransferase (median 27.1 vs 17.0 months, P&lt;0.01). Hyperthyroidism is comorbid with renal diseases, but no cumulative effect was found on survivability. There was no difference in survival rates between surgical and pharmaceutical treatment, therefore the discussion of treatment options with owners can focus on other factors (e.g., cost, owners’ compliance, cats’ tolerance to medication, presence of comorbidities). We propose that surgery may be the preferred treatment when the survival rates are expected to be higher than one year. This would avoid high costs and potential side effects of medication.