Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Why regular health checks matter for older cats over 2 years
By Mortier, Femke et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2024·Small Animal Department·View original on PubMed →
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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Value of repeated health screening in 259 apparently healthy mature adult and senior cats followed for 2 years.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 259 cats aged 7 years and older were regularly screened for health issues over two years, even though they initially appeared healthy. Surprisingly, 21% of these cats were found to have conditions like chronic kidney disease or hyperthyroidism right from the start. Over the two years, many developed new health problems, especially senior cats, with chronic kidney disease being the most common. This study highlights the importance of regular health check-ups for older cats, as many hidden issues can arise even if they seem fine at first.
People also search for: senior cat health screening · chronic kidney disease in cats · hyperthyroidism symptoms in cats
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Although regular health screening is recommended, long-term follow-up data in healthy aged cats are lacking. OBJECTIVES: Determine the most common conditions in a large group of apparently healthy older cats and which diseases are manifested within 2 years in cats confirmed to be healthy based on extensive health screening. ANIMALS: Client-owned cats. METHODS: Prospective study. Thorough history, physical examination, blood tests, and urinalysis were performed in 259 apparently healthy mature adult (7-10 years) and senior (>10 years) cats. Semi-annual follow-up examinations were performed in 201 confirmed healthy cats. RESULTS: At baseline, 21% of apparently healthy cats were not considered healthy but were diagnosed with International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) ≥ stage 2 chronic kidney disease (CKD; 7.7%) or hyperthyroidism (4.6%), among other disorders. Disease occurred significantly more frequently in senior cats compared with mature adult cats. In addition, 40% cats were overweight, 35% had moderate to severe dental disease, and 22% had abnormal cardiac auscultation findings. Within 2 years, 28% of mature adult and 54% of senior cats that were confirmed healthy at inclusion developed new diseases, most commonly IRIS ≥ stage 2 CKD (cumulative incidence, 13.4%), hyperthyroidism (8.5%), chronic enteropathy, hepatopathy or pancreatitis (7.5%), or neoplasia (7%). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The high prevalence and 2-year incidence of physical examination abnormalities and systemic diseases in apparently healthy older cats argue for regular health screening in cats ≥7 years of age. Although more common in senior cats, occult disease also occurs in mature adult cats, and owners should be informed accordingly.
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 PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38967102/