Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Stress and quality of life in cats with kidney disease or suspected
By Chen, Chien-Hui et al.·Published in The veterinary quarterly·2024·Institute of Veterinary Clinical Science·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of chronic stress status and quality of life in cats suffering from chronic kidney disease and suspected feline infectious peritonitis based on hair cortisol concentration analysis and a questionnaire.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and suspected feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) were studied to see how these conditions affected their stress levels and quality of life. Researchers measured cortisol levels in the cats' hair, which indicated stress, and also asked owners to fill out a questionnaire about their pets' well-being. Cats with late-stage CKD showed higher stress levels and lower quality of life scores compared to those with early-stage CKD. Similarly, cats suspected of having FIP had the highest stress levels and lowest quality of life scores. This study highlights how serious illnesses can significantly impact a cat's stress and overall happiness.
People also search for: cat chronic kidney disease symptoms · feline infectious peritonitis signs · how to reduce stress in cats · cat quality of life assessment
Abstract
Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) and a questionnaire were used as indicators of chronic stress status and quality of life (QoL), respectively, in cats. To date, there has been limited research on the simultaneous application of both indicators in unwell cats. Our aim was to evaluate HCC and questionnaire data obtained from a healthy cat cohort ( = 61) and cat cohorts with either chronic kidney disease (CKD) ( = 78) or suspected feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) ( = 24). Furthermore, we also investigated the correlation between HCC and clinical pathological data. For this study, hair from the abdomen of cats was collected and analyzed for HCC using a commercial ELISA kit. Owners also completed a questionnaire, from which average-item-weighted-impact-scores (AWISs) were calculated. Cats with late-stage-CKD (median, HCC = 330.15 pg/mg, AWIS = -0.43) presented with a significantly higher HCC ( < 0.01) and a significantly lower AWIS ( < 0.01) than cats with early-stage-CKD (HCC = 183.56 pg/mg, AWIS = 1.08). Similarly, there were significant differences in both HCC ( < 0.001) and AWIS ( < 0.001) between cats with suspected FIP (HCC = 896.27 pg/mg, AWIS = -1.97) and healthy cats (HCC = 181.24 pg/mg, AWIS = 1.24). The degree of consistency between the HCC results and the questionnaire results reminds us that the severity of a chronic disease or the presence of a life-threatening disease can significantly increase stress and thus can affect the QoL of cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39028217/