Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis for the Enumeration and Characterization of Mineralo-Organic Nanoparticles in Feline Urine.

Urinary stone disease, particularly calcium oxalate, is common in both humans and cats. Calcifying nanoparticles (CNP) are spherical nanocrystallite material, and are composed of proteins (fetuin, albumin) and inorganic minerals. CNP are suggested to play a role in a wide array of pathologic mineralization syndromes including urolithiasis. We documented the development of a clinically relevant protocol to assess urinary CNP in 9 healthy cats consuming the same diet in a controlled environment using Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA®). NTA® is a novel method that allows for characterization of the CNP in an efficient, accurate method that can differentiate these particles from other urinary submicron particulates. The predominant nanoscale particles in feline urine are characteristic of CNP in terms of their size, their ability to spontaneously form under suitable conditions, and the presence of an outer layer that is rich in calcium and capable of binding to hydroxyapatite binders such as alendronate and osteopontin. The expansion of this particle population can be suppressed by the addition of citrate to urine samples. Further, compounds targeting exosomal surfaces do not label these particulates. As CNP have been associated with a number of significant urologic maladies, the method described herein may prove to be a useful adjunct in evaluating lithogenesis risk in mammals.

Cohort Study of the Success of Controlled Weight Loss Programs for Obese Dogs.

BACKGROUND: Most weight loss studies in obese dogs assess rate and percentage of weight loss in the first 2-3 months, rather than the likelihood of successfully reaching target weight. OBJECTIVE: To determine outcome of controlled weight loss programs for obese dogs, and to determine the factors associated with successful completion. ANIMALS: 143 obese dogs undergoing a controlled weight loss program. METHODS: This was a cohort study of obese dogs attending a referral weight management clinic. Dogs were studied during their period of weight loss, and cases classified according to outcome as "completed" (reached target weight), "euthanized" (was euthanized before reaching target weight), or "stopped prematurely" (program stopped early for other reasons). Factors associated with successful completion were assessed using simple and multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: 87/143 dogs (61%) completed their weight loss program, 11 [8%] died or were euthanized, and the remaining 45 [32%] stopped prematurely. Reasons for dogs stopping prematurely included inability to contact owner, refusal to comply with weight management advice, or development of another illness. Successful weight loss was positively associated with a faster rate (P < .001), a longer duration (P < .001), and feeding a dried weight management diet (P = .010), but negatively associated with starting body fat (P < .001), and use of dirlotapide (P = .0046). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Just over half of all obese dogs on a controlled weight loss program reach their target weight. Future studies should better clarify reasons for success in individual cases, and also the role of factors such as activity and behavioral modification.

The effect of dietary hydroxyproline and dietary oxalate on urinary oxalate excretion in cats.

In humans and rodents, dietary hydroxyproline (hyp) and oxalate intake affect urinary oxalate (Uox) excretion. Whether Uox excretion occurs in cats was tested by feeding diets containing low oxalate (13 mg/100 g DM) with high (Hhyp-Lox), moderate (Mhyp-Lox), and low hyp (Lhyp-Lox) concentrations (3.8, 2.0, and 0.2 g/100 g DM, respectively) and low hyp with high oxalate (93 mg/100 g DM; Lhyp-Hox) to 8 adult female cats in a 48-d study using a Latin square design. Cats were randomly allocated to one of the four 12-d treatment periods and fed according to individual energy needs. Feces and urine were collected quantitatively using modified litter boxes during the final 5 d of each period. Feces were analyzed for oxalate and Ca, and urine was analyzed for specific density, pH, oxalate, Ca, P, Mg, Na, K, ammonia, citrate, urate, sulfate, and creatinine. Increasing hyp intake (0.2, 2.0, and 3.8 g/100 g DM) resulted in increased Uox excretion (Lhyp-Lox vs. Mhyp-Lox vs. Hhyp-Lox; P < 0.05), and the linear dose-response equation was Uox (mg/d) = 5.62 + 2.10 × g hyp intake/d (r(2) = 0.56; P < 0.001). Increasing oxalate intake from 13 to 93 mg/100 g DM did not affect Uox excretion but resulted in an increase in fecal oxalate output (P < 0.001) and positive oxalate balance (32.20 ± 2.06 mg/d). The results indicate that the intestinal absorption of the supplemental oxalate, and thereby its contribution to Uox, was low (5.90% ± 5.24%). Relevant increases in endogenous Uox excretion were achieved by increasing dietary hyp intake. The hyp-containing protein sources should be minimized in Ca oxalate urolith preventative diets until their effect on Uox excretion is tested. The oxalate content (up to 93 mg/100 g DM) in a diet with moderate Ca content does not contribute to Uox content.

Factors contributing to the variation in feline urinary oxalate excretion rate.

This study aimed to identify factors (season, animal, and diet) contributing to the variation in urinary oxalate (Uox) excretion rate, Uox concentration, and urine volume in healthy adult cats. A data set (1,940 observations) containing information on Uox excretion rate of 65 cats fed 252 diets (i.e., each diet was fed to a group of 6 to 8 cats), with known dietary oxalate concentrations, collected over a 6 yr period at a feline nutrition facility, were retrospectively analyzed. Data related to season, animal (i.e., age, gender, body weight, and breed), and diet (i.e., nutrient content) characteristics were subjected to stepwise multivariate regression analysis to identify factors significantly correlated to Uox excretion rate (µmol/(kg BW(0.67)·d)) and concentration (mmol/L) as well as urine volume (mL/(kg BW(0.67)·d)). Independent factors significantly (P < 0.05) associated with lower Uox concentration (mmol/L) included greater ash, Ca, and Na intake and lower nitrogen-free extract, total dietary fiber, P, and oxalate intake, and a body weight <5 kg. Factors significantly associated with lower Uox excretion rate (µmol/(kg BW(0.67)·d)) included greater crude fat and Ca intake and lower CP, total dietary fiber, P, and oxalate intake. However, a considerable part of the variation in Uox excretion rate remained unexplained. The majority of the unexplained variation in Uox excretion rate is likely to be related to factors involved in endogenous oxalate synthesis, as the majority of the dietary factors involved in intestinal oxalate absorption were included in the model. Apparent intestinal oxalate absorption was estimated to be 6.2% on average; however, much variation was present. Future research on Uox excretion rate in cats should focus on the influence of dietary protein sources, amino acid composition, vitamin C (that was not included in the present study), and variations in apparent intestinal oxalate absorption.

Factors associated with adverse outcomes during parenteral nutrition administration in dogs and cats.

BACKGROUND: Parenteral nutrition (PN) is increasingly used to support hospitalized dogs and cats. Published assessments of outcome are limited. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate type and prevalence of complications and risk factors for death and complications in dogs and cats receiving PN. ANIMALS: Three hundred and nineteen dogs and 112 cats that received PN at a teaching hospital between 2000 and 2008. METHODS: Retrospective case review. Diagnosis, duration of PN administration, concurrent enteral feeding, death, and mechanical, septic, and metabolic complications were abstracted from medical records. Association of each parameter with complications and death was analyzed by binary logistic regression. RESULTS: Pancreatitis was the most common diagnosis (109/319 dogs, 34/112 cats), and 137/319 dogs and 51/112 cats died. Dogs and cats received 113 ± 40% and 103 ± 32% of resting energy requirement, respectively. Mechanical (81/319 dogs, 16/112 cats) and septic (20/319 dogs, 6/112 cats) complications were not associated with death (P > .05). Hyperglycemia was the most common metabolic complication (96/158 dogs, 31/37 cats). Hypercreatininemia in dogs (8/79) was the only complication associated with death (P < .01). Chronic kidney disease in dogs, hepatic lipidosis in cats, and longer duration of inadequate caloric intake before PN in both species were negatively associated with survival (P < .05). Factors positively associated with survival included longer duration of PN administration in both species, enteral feeding in cats with any disease, and enteral feeding in dogs with respiratory disease (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: PN can be effectively used to provide the energy requirements of most critically ill dogs and cats. Most complications accompanying PN administration do not affect survival.