Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Exploring early life events including diet in cats presenting for gastrointestinal signs in later life.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary record
- Year:
- 2019
- Authors:
- Kathrani, Aarti et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical Science and Services · United Kingdom
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
This study looked at whether certain early life experiences, especially diet, could lead to cats having stomach problems later on. Researchers gathered information from 1,212 cats and found that 30 of them had visited the vet multiple times for issues like vomiting or diarrhea between six months and 30 months of age. The results showed that cats that had these symptoms early on or were not fed a proper commercial diet before 16 weeks old were more likely to have ongoing gastrointestinal problems later. The findings suggest that feeding cats a diet that meets specific guidelines early in life might help prevent these issues. Overall, the study indicates that better early nutrition could reduce the chances of cats needing repeated vet visits for stomach problems.
Abstract
Our study aimed to determine if certain early life events were more prevalent in cats presenting to veterinary practices specifically for gastrointestinal signs on at least two occasions between six months and 30 months of age. Data from an owner-completed questionnaire for 1212 cats before 16 weeks of age and subsequent questionnaires for the same cats between six months and 30 months of age were reviewed. Of the 1212 cats included, 30 visited a veterinary practice for gastrointestinal signs on two or more occasions. Of the early life events recorded, cats reported with vomiting, diarrhoea or both, and/or those not exclusively fed commercial diet(s) that meets the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Global Nutrition Committee (GNC) guidelines before 16 weeks of age were more likely to visit veterinary practices specifically for gastrointestinal signs on at least two occasions between six months and 30 months of age (P<0.001, odds ratio (OR)=2.64, 95 per cent confidence interval (CI)=1.66-4.22 and P=0.030, OR=1.51, 95 per cent CI=1.04-2.22, respectively). Ensuring cats exclusively consume commercial diet(s) that meets the WSAVA GNC guidelines and further studies identifying specific aetiologies for vomiting and diarrhoea before 16 weeks of age to enable prevention may reduce the number of cats subsequently presenting to primary care veterinary practices for repeated gastrointestinal signs.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31167836/