A new study has shown that physical and laboratory variables measured at the time of histopathological diagnosis of chronic inflammatory enteropathy in cats were not predictors of death due to gastrointestinal disease or length of survival.
However, the attainment of clinical remission did reduce the likelihood of subsequent death due to gastrointestinal disease.
The study was published in the latest issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice (JSAP).
In the study, “Outcome of chronic inflammatory enteropathy in cats: 65 cases (2011-2021)”, cats diagnosed with chronic inflammatory enteropathy were retrospectively identified from three medical records databases. Follow-up information was obtained from the referring veterinary surgeon.
This information was used to determine if clinicopathological variables were associated with death due to gastrointestinal disease in diagnosed cats.
Little information is known about the variables that might affect death and survival in cats with feline chronic inflammatory enteropathy.
Identifying these variables is critical to help better inform treatment recommendations and owner expectations.
Sixty-five cats with chronic inflammatory enteropathy were included in the study, with follow-up information available for 54 cats (83 percent).
Of these, 37 percent (n=20) were euthanised due to gastrointestinal disease and 46 percent (n=25) were alive and in clinical remission, with 64 percent (n=16) of this number diagnosed with food-responsive enteropathy.
The study did not find a correlation between the tested clinicopathological variables measured at the time of histopathological diagnosis and death due to gastrointestinal disease or length of survival in these cats before death due to gastrointestinal disease.
This suggests that alternative diagnostic measures should be identified to definitively investigate outcome and survival in cats with chronic inflammatory enteropathy.
Nevertheless, achieving clinical remission reduced the likelihood of subsequent death due to gastrointestinal disease.
The study also adds weight to previous research which recommends the use of therapeutic diets in cats with chronic inflammatory enteropathy, although further research is needed to clarify a favourable treatment protocol.
First author, Dr Yuvani Bandara, commented: “Knowledge that the attainment of clinical remission reduces the likelihood of subsequent death due to feline chronic inflammatory enteropathy is important for veterinary surgeons and owners.
“We hope that our findings can act as a foundation for further research to investigate factors that support the attainment of clinical remission in affected cats. Thank you to BSAVA PetSavers for funding this study.”
The study was funded by BSAVA PetSavers, the grant awarding arm of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association. For further information go to the the BSAVA PetSavers website.
The full article can be found in the March issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice and can be read online.
