Investigation of hypomagnesaemia prevalence and underlying aetiology in a hospitalised cohort of dogs with ionised hypocalcaemia.

OBJECTIVES: Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body and plays a critical role in a wide range of physiological processes. Low concentrations of ionised calcium, the most metabolically available form of calcium, have been linked to an increased risk of adverse clinical outcomes in dogs. Magnesium plays an important role in parathyroid hormone function. The objective of this study was to define the prevalence and aetiology of hypomagnesaemia in a hospitalised cohort of dogs with ionised hypocalcaemia (IHC). METHODS: A total magnesium reference interval was established using serum biochemistry results from 346 clinically healthy dogs. The clinical records of dogs with IHC were reviewed, and concurrent serum magnesium concentrations were recorded alongside clinical signs and underlying aetiology. The prevalence, clinical presentation and aetiology of hypomagnesaemia were examined in the IHC population. RESULTS: Two hundred and ninety-five IHC dogs were identified. Hypomagnesaemia was identified in 22%. Total magnesium concentration was significantly higher in dogs with renal disease. The most common cause of concurrent hypomagnesaemia and IHC was gastrointestinal diseases. CONCLUSION: Low concentrations of serum magnesium occur in approximately one fifth of all dogs with IHC. Further studies are required to clarify the link between magnesium status, IHC and clinical outcome.

Feline tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis infection of domestic UK cats associated with feeding a commercial raw food diet.

Mycobacterium (M.) bovis can infect cats and is a demonstrated zoonosis. We describe an outbreak of M. bovis in pet cats across England and Scotland associated with feeding a commercial raw food diet. Forty-seven cats presented with (pyo)granulomatous lesions, lymphadenopathy, pulmonary and/or alimentary disease over a one-year period where M. bovis infection was suspected or definitively diagnosed, and the cats all consumed the same specific brand of commercial raw venison pet food. Infection with M. bovis genotype 10:a was confirmed by culture and DNA typing of isolates in a small number of cases (n = 5); PCR was used in combination with or as an alternative to culture (n = 12) and/or infection with a Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex group organism was strongly suggested by positive responses to an interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA; n = 34). Asymptomatic at-risk cats were screened by IGRA, identifying a further 83 infected cats. The five culture-positive cases were distributed across areas of England and Scotland at low risk of endemic bovine tuberculosis. Investigations revealed affected cats were mainly indoor-only, and had been fed the same commercial raw food as at least part of their diet. This diet was recalled by the manufacturer due to failure of statutory meat inspection of the component venison. As far as possible, other sources of infection were explored and excluded, including wildlife contact, access to raw milk and living with people with active M. bovis infection. Four owners and one veterinary surgeon were found to have high likelihood of latent tuberculosis infection. One owner required treatment. Although it was not possible to conclusively demonstrate a zoonotic origin for these infections, neither was it possible to eliminate the possibility. Our results provide compelling evidence that the commercial raw diet of these cats was the likely route of M. bovis infection in this outbreak of cases.

Potential Causes of Increased Vocalisation in Elderly Cats with Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome as Assessed by Their Owners.

The objectives of this study were to explore owner perception of the causes of increased vocalisation in cats diagnosed with cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) and consider what impact this vocalisation may have on the cat's household. Owners of cats diagnosed with CDS that presented with increased vocalisation were invited to complete an online survey. The survey consisted of 28 questions including the cat's signalment, its medical history, and questions pertaining to the owner's perception of what motivated their cat´s increased vocalisation. This was determined by looking at the cat's behaviour when vocalising, where it was looking when it was vocalising, and if the vocalisation stopped when the owner interacted with it, e.g., petting or feeding it. The owners were also asked how stressful they found their cat's vocalisation. There were 37 responses. The majority of owners reported that the main cause of their cat's vocalisation appeared to be disorientation (40.5%) or attention seeking (40.5%). Seeking a resource such as food was reported in 16.2%, and pain was perceived to be the cause in only 2.7% of cats. However, the majority of owners (64.8%) believed there was >1 cause of their cat's increased vocalisation. Importantly, when owners were asked how stressful they found their cat's increased vocalisation, 40.5% scored ≥3 (where 1 = not stressful; 5 = significantly stressful). This study provides novel insight into owner perception of feline CDS, as well as potential causes for increased vocalisation; this will allow veterinarians to better advise owners on how to manage their cat with CDS.

Prevalence of Disease and Age-Related Behavioural Changes in Cats: Past and Present.

(1) Background: age-related changes in behaviour and health may be thought of as "normal" ageing; however, they can reflect under-diagnosed, potentially treatable, conditions. This paper describes the prevalence of age-related behavioural changes and disease in two UK cat populations at separate time-points. (2) Methods: owners of cats aged ≥11 years completed questionnaires in 1995 (cohort 1: n = 1236), and from 2010-2015 (cohort 2: n = 883). (3) Results: the most important behavioural changes in these cats were increased affection towards their owners (reported by 51.9% in 1995; 35.8% in 2010-2015), increased vocalisation (63.5%; 58.9%, respectively), particularly at night (32%; 43.6%), and house-soiling (29.3%; 55.8%). Most (79.4%; 81%) of the cats had visited a veterinary surgeon since becoming 11 years old. The main reasons, aside from vaccinations, were dental disease, renal disease and lower urinary tract disorders in 1995, and dental disease, renal disease and hyperthyroidism in 2010-2015. All major diagnoses were reported significantly more frequently in 2010-2015 than in 1995; behavioural changes were variably associated with these diseases. (4) Conclusion: elderly cats display age-related behavioural changes and develop diseases that may be under-diagnosed. Veterinarians need to ask owners about these behavioural changes, as they may signify manageable conditions rather than reflect "normal" ageing.

First report of Lyme borreliosis leading to cardiac bradydysrhythmia in two cats.

CASE SERIES SUMMARY: Two cats were presented for investigation of bradyarrhythmia detected by their referring veterinarians during routine examination. Both cats had extensive investigations, including haematology, serum biochemistry with electrolytes and thyroxine concentrations, systolic blood pressure measurement, echocardiography, electrocardiography and infectious disease testing. Infectious disease testing included serology for Toxoplasma gondii, Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi, and PCR for B burgdorferi antigen in both cats. Case 1 was also assessed by PCR for Bartonella henselae antigen and case 2 was assessed for Dirofilaria immitis by serology. All infectious disease tests, other than for B burgdorferi, were negative. Case 1 was diagnosed with Lyme carditis based on marked bradydysrhythmia, positive B burgdorferi serology, a structurally normal heart and clinical resolution with appropriate treatment with a 4-year follow-up. Case 2 was diagnosed with Lyme carditis based on marked bradydysrhythmia and positive B burgdorferi PCR; however, this cat had structural heart disease that did not resolve with treatment. RELEVANCE AND NOVEL INFORMATION: This small case series describes two B burgdorferi positive cats presenting with newly diagnosed cardiac abnormalities consistent with those found in humans and dogs with Lyme carditis. Both cats were asymptomatic as perceived by their owners; the arrhythmia was detected by their veterinarians.

Investigation of the efficacy of a dietetic food in the management of chronic enteropathies in dogs.

BACKGROUND: Chronic enteropathies (CEs) are a common cause of morbidity in dogs. CEs are diagnosed in dogs with chronic gastrointestinal clinical signs (>3 weeks), inflammatory changes on intestinal biopsies and where no other underlying cause is determined based on a thorough, standardised diagnostic work-up. Based on response to therapy, CEs are subclassified into food-responsive, antibiotic-responsive or steroid-responsive enteropathies. A significant proportion of dogs with a CE are food-responsive; however, there are limited peer-reviewed publications describing the clinical efficacy of the commercially available diets used to treat CE. METHODS: In this study, the authors evaluated the response of 15 dogs with a CE to a commercially available dietetic food (Hill's Prescription Diet i/d Sensitive Canine Dry). The dogs underwent a standard diagnostic evaluation and did not receive concurrent anthelmintic, antibiotic, glucocorticoid or gastroprotectant therapies. The clinical efficacy of the dietary treatment was assessed by comparing the Canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Activity Index (CIBDAI) before and a median of 13 days after dietary therapy. RESULTS: The authors found that the CIBDAI significantly decreased following the introduction of the dietetic food (median CIBDAI score pretreatment 9, post-treatment 2; P<0.0005). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that this dietetic food can be used to successfully manage CE in dogs.