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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Risk and protective factors for chronic kidney disease in cats

By Piyarungsri, Kakanang & Pusoonthornthum, Rosama·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2017·Department of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Risk and protective factors for cats with naturally occurring chronic kidney disease.

Species:
cat

Plain-English summary

A study found that male cats, those drinking tap water, and cats that spend time outdoors are at a higher risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD). In contrast, cats that eat commercial dry food, drink filtered water, and live indoors may have a lower risk of developing this serious condition. The research suggests that feeding your cat commercial dry food could help protect against CKD. If you're concerned about your cat's kidney health, consider discussing their diet and lifestyle with your veterinarian.

People also search for: cat kidney disease prevention · best food for cat kidney health · why is my cat drinking tap water · outdoor cat health risks

Abstract

Objectives Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant disease in cats. Identifying risk and protective factors may help to prevent this significant disease. Methods An age-matched case-control study was performed to determine the risk factors in cats with naturally occurring CKD. Twenty-nine clinically normal cats aged ⩾5 years and 101 cats with naturally occurring CKD were studied. Risk factors were determined by interviewing cat owners from the Small Animal Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, and veterinary hospitals in the Bangkok Metropolitan area, through questionnaires completed between June 2004 and November 2014. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed using two independent proportional test methods and logistic regression analysis with backward elimination. Results Male sex (odd ratios [OR] 2.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-8.87; P = 0.02), tap water (OR 3.43, 95% CI 1.08-11.45; P = 0.03) and an outdoor lifestyle (OR 3.77, 95% CI 1.03-17.99; P = 0.04) were associated with an increased risk for CKD. Commercial dry cat food (OR 0.06, 95% CI 0.02-0.17; P = 0.00), filtered water (OR 0.13, 95% CI 0.03-0.52; P = 0.01) and an indoor lifestyle (OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.07-0.98; P = 0.02) were associated with a decreased risk. Logistic regression analysis using backward elimination demonstrated that cats fed commercial dry cat food (OR 0.042, 95% CI 0.01-0.17; P = 0.00) had a decreased risk for CKD compared with cats on other types of diet. Conclusions and relevance Multivariable analysis found only feeding commercial dry cat food to be significant, suggesting that commercial dry cat food may be a potential protective factor for CKD in cats.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26792680/