Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Long-term outcomes in cats screened for heart disease
By Anna Follby et al.·Published in Animals·2022·AniCura Läckeby Djursjukhus, SE-395 98 Läckeby, Sweden, CH·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: A Questionnaire Survey on Long-Term Outcomes in Cats Breed-Screened for Feline Cardiomyopathy
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study looked at long-term outcomes in cats that were screened for feline cardiomyopathy (FCM), a serious heart condition. Out of 1,113 cats, about 9% developed FCM over time, with many diagnosed during the screening process. Cats diagnosed with FCM had a higher risk of dying from heart-related issues and generally lived shorter lives compared to those who never developed the condition. The findings suggest that regular screenings for FCM should continue as cats age, since many may develop the condition later in life.
People also search for: cat heart disease symptoms · feline cardiomyopathy lifespan · screening for cat heart problems
Abstract
Feline cardiomyopathy (FCM) is an important contributor to feline morbidity and mortality. This explorative follow-up questionnaire study was aimed at investigating the long-term outcome in cats breed-screened for FCM (BS-FCM) in three Nordic countries. Records of cats with ≥1 BS-FCM between 2004–2015 were included. Of the 1113 included cats, 104/1113 (9.3%) had developed FCM at some time-point. Fifty-nine of the 104 (56.7%) FCM cats were diagnosed within the screening program (Screen<sup>FCM</sup>), and 33/59 (55.9%) of these were diagnosed at the first BS-FCM. Screen<sup>FCM</sup> cats or with an owner-reported FCM diagnosis at a later time-point had a higher risk of cardiac-related death compared to cats that never developed FCM. A shorter lifespan was found in Screen<sup>FCM</sup> cats compared to those with normal screen results (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Times to all-cause mortality were shorter (<i>p</i> < 0.001) in cats that developed FCM at any time-point compared to those that did not. Non-cardiac morbidities were similar in all screen classification groups. The large proportion of cats that developed FCM at a later time-point underscores the need for repeated screenings later in life. Cats that developed FCM at any time-point had a shorter lifespan, with a similar proportion and in line with the nature of non-cardiac morbidities, compared to those without FCM.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12202782