Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Feeding tube use in 112 sick cats at a referral center
By Brunet, Audrey et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2022·University of Lyon, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Use of feeding tubes in 112 cats in an internal medicine referral service (2015-2020).
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 112 sick cats with appetite problems received feeding tubes to help them eat while being treated for various health issues. The most common reasons for needing a feeding tube included digestive problems, liver issues, and urinary tract disorders. While some cats experienced mild complications from the tubes, most were manageable, and about 73% of the cats survived. Cats with nasoenteral tubes tended to regain their appetite faster than those with oesophagostomy tubes. Overall, many cats returned to eating on their own after treatment, which was linked to better survival rates.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to describe diseases, complications and outcomes associated with the use of feeding tubes in a population of sick cats with appetite disturbance managed at an internal medicine referral service. METHODS: Clinicopathological data from cats receiving nasoenteral (NE) or oesophagostomy (O) tubes were studied. Cats were categorised according to their underlying disease and divided into subgroups (NE or O tube). The following factors associated with survival were analysed: disease category, type of tube and return to appetite. RESULTS: Included in the study were 112 cats, representing 118 cases. Of the 118 cases, 98 (83%) and 20 (17%) received NE or O tubes, respectively. The most common underlying conditions were digestive (13.5%), hepatobiliary (11%) and upper urinary tract (11%) disorders. Hepatobiliary (50%) and upper respiratory tract (30%) conditions were predominant in the O tube group. Digestive (15%) and upper urinary tract (12%) diseases were more common in the NE tube group. Complications following tube placement occurred in 22/118 cases (18.6%). The global survival rate was 73% and did not differ between NE (71.4%) and O tube (80%) groups ( = 1.00) or disease categories ( = 0.61). Return of appetite before feeding tube removal occurred in 56 cases (47%), within a median of 3 days (range 1-30) and was not associated with mirtazapine administration ( = 1.00). Appetite returned earlier for cats with NE tubes (3 days, range 1-17) than for those with O tubes (33 days, range 5-60;<0.05). Voluntary food intake was positively associated with survival (odds ratio 15.17). After discharge and feeding tube retrieval, return of appetite was observed in 67% of cases. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Feeding tubes were predominantly placed for the management of appetite disturbance in cats with digestive, hepatobiliary and upper urinary tract diseases. While complications were frequent, they were mostly mild, easily managed and did not preclude feeding tube use. Return to appetite occurred in a large proportion of cats during or after assisted enteral feeding and was associated with survival.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35833503/