J Vet Intern Med. 2024 Oct 24. doi: 10.1111/jvim.17200. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Enteral nutrition (EN) is essential for management of hepatic lipidosis (HL) in cats.
OBJECTIVES: To determine if time to start of EN and other clinicopathologic variables are associated with outcome in cats with HL.
ANIMALS: Forty-eight cats with HL.
METHODS: Retrospective study. Information retrieved from medical records and client communications included clinicopathologic findings, time to start of EN, initial % of resting energy requirements provided, type of feeding tube, duration of hospitalization, and 3-month survival. Variables were compared between surviving and nonsurviving cats and between cats fed ≤12 hours and >12 hours after hospital admission. Multivariable statistical testing was performed to further investigate variables of interest.
RESULTS: Seventeen of 25 (68%) cats fed ≤12 hours and 13 of 23 (57%) of cats fed >12 hours after hospital admission survived (P = .55). Only increasing age (odds ratio [OR], 1.313; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.032-1.671; P = .03) and the presence of ascites (OR, 6.415; 95% CI, 1.354-30.395; P = .02) were associated with death in multivariable analysis. Hospitalization duration (median, interquartile range [IQR]) was shorter in cats fed >12 hours (2.8 days; IQR, 2.1-3.8 days) as compared with cats fed ≤12 hours (4.8 days; IQR, 3.6-6.2 days) after hospital admission (P < .001).
CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: An initial stabilization period before EN introduction does not decrease survival or increase duration of hospitalization in cats with HL.
PMID:39447212 | DOI:10.1111/jvim.17200
