Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Stress and quality of life in cats with kidney disease or suspected
By Chien-Hui Chen et al.·Published in Veterinary Quarterly·2024·Institute of Veterinary Clinical Science, School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bio-Resources and Agriculture, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, GB·View original on DOAJ →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
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 understand their stress levels and quality of life. Researchers measured cortisol levels in the cats' hair and asked their 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 the lowest quality of life scores. This study highlights how serious health issues can greatly 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
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 (n = 61) and cat cohorts with either chronic kidney disease (CKD) (n = 78) or suspected feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) (n = 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 (p < 0.01) and a significantly lower AWIS (p < 0.01) than cats with early-stage-CKD (HCC = 183.56 pg/mg, AWIS = 1.08). Similarly, there were significant differences in both HCC (p < 0.001) and AWIS (p < 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.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.1080/01652176.2024.2379327