Survival, Remission, and Quality of Life in Diabetic Cats

Overview

Journal J Vet Intern Med

Specialties General Medicine
Veterinary Medicine

Date 2023 Jan 13

PMID 36637031

Authors

Ninni Rothlin-Zachrisson

Malin Ohlund

Helena Rocklinsberg

Bodil Strom Holst

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Remission is documented in a substantial proportion of cats with diabetes. The effects of diabetes mellitus (DM) on the lives of cats and their owners should be considered when evaluating treatment success.

Objectives: To study outcome in cats with DM and the impact DM has on the life situation of cat and owner.

Animals: Domestic and pedigree cats with a diagnosis of DM (n = 477) insured by a Swedish insurance company during 2009 to 2013.

Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study. A questionnaire was sent to 1369 owners of cats diagnosed with DM. The questions concerned the cat, treatment, owner perceptions of the disease and treatment and disease outcome. Data were analyzed using multiple linear and logistic regression, with outcomes set as survival for more than 4 weeks after diagnosis, survival time, achieving remission, remission without relapse and quality of life (QoL) for the cat.

Results: The response rate was 35%, leaving 477 questionnaires for analysis. The remission rate among treated cats was 29% (118/405). Feeding a commercially available wet diet was associated with both remission (OR 3.16, 95% confidence interval 1.27-8.12) and remission without relapse (OR 14.8, 95% confidence interval 2.25-153.8). Remission was associated with a better QoL for the cat.

Conclusions And Clinical Importance: The association between feeding a commercially available wet diet and remission is important and strengthens the role of diet in treatment of DM in cats. Linking remission and a better QoL for the cat emphasizes remission as a goal in disease management.

Citing Articles

SGLT2 inhibitor use in the management of feline diabetes mellitus.

Cook A, Behrend E J Vet Pharmacol Ther. 2024; 48 Suppl 1():19-30.

PMID: 38954371 PMC: 11736986. DOI: 10.1111/jvp.13466.

Frequency of diabetic remission, predictors of remission and survival in cats using a low-cost, moderate-intensity, home-monitoring protocol and twice-daily glargine.

Gottlieb S, Rand J, Anderson S J Feline Med Surg. 2024; 26(4):1098612X241232546.

PMID: 38661475 PMC: 11103314. DOI: 10.1177/1098612X241232546.

Survival, remission, and quality of life in diabetic cats.

Rothlin-Zachrisson N, Ohlund M, Rocklinsberg H, Holst B J Vet Intern Med. 2023; 37(1):58-69.

PMID: 36637031 PMC: 9889602. DOI: 10.1111/jvim.16625.

References

Niessen S, Forcada Y, Mantis P, Lamb C, Harrington N, Fowkes R . Studying Cat (Felis catus) Diabetes: Beware of the Acromegalic Imposter. PLoS One. 2015; 10(5):e0127794. PMC: 4449218. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127794. View

Niessen S, Hazuchova K, Powney S, Guitian J, Niessen A, Pion P . The Big Pet Diabetes Survey: Perceived Frequency and Triggers for Euthanasia. Vet Sci. 2017; 4(2). PMC: 5606606. DOI: 10.3390/vetsci4020027. View

Niessen S, Bjornvad C, Church D, Davison L, Esteban-Saltiveri D, Fleeman L . Agreeing Language in Veterinary Endocrinology (ALIVE): Diabetes mellitus - a modified Delphi-method-based system to create consensus disease definitions. Vet J. 2022; 289:105910. DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2022.105910. View

Roomp K, Rand J . Evaluation of detemir in diabetic cats managed with a protocol for intensive blood glucose control. J Feline Med Surg. 2012; 14(8):566-72. PMC: 11104196. DOI: 10.1177/1098612X12446211. View

Bijsmans E, Jepson R, Syme H, Elliott J, Niessen S . Psychometric Validation of a General Health Quality of Life Tool for Cats Used to Compare Healthy Cats and Cats with Chronic Kidney Disease. J Vet Intern Med. 2015; 30(1):183-91. PMC: 4913638. DOI: 10.1111/jvim.13656. View

Dyson P, Kelly T, Deakin T, Duncan A, Frost G, Harrison Z . Diabetes UK evidence-based nutrition guidelines for the prevention and management of diabetes. Diabet Med. 2011; 28(11):1282-8. DOI: 10.1111/j.1464-5491.2011.03371.x. View

Nelson R, Reusch C . Animal models of disease: classification and etiology of diabetes in dogs and cats. J Endocrinol. 2014; 222(3):T1-9. DOI: 10.1530/JOE-14-0202. View

Noli C, Borio S, Varina A, Schievano C . Development and validation of a questionnaire to evaluate the Quality of Life of cats with skin disease and their owners, and its use in 185 cats with skin disease. Vet Dermatol. 2016; 27(4):247-e58. DOI: 10.1111/vde.12341. View

Zini E, Hafner M, Osto M, Franchini M, Ackermann M, Lutz T . Predictors of clinical remission in cats with diabetes mellitus. J Vet Intern Med. 2010; 24(6):1314-21. DOI: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2010.0598.x. View

10.

Fleeman L, Gostelow R . Updates in Feline Diabetes Mellitus and Hypersomatotropism. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2020; 50(5):1085-1105. DOI: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2020.06.005. View

11.

Roomp K, Rand J . Intensive blood glucose control is safe and effective in diabetic cats using home monitoring and treatment with glargine. J Feline Med Surg. 2009; 11(8):668-82. PMC: 11132583. DOI: 10.1016/j.jfms.2009.04.010. View

12.

Albuquerque C, Bauman B, Rzeznitzeck J, Caney S, Gunn-Moore D . Priorities on treatment and monitoring of diabetic cats from the owners' points of view. J Feline Med Surg. 2019; 22(6):506-513. PMC: 10814342. DOI: 10.1177/1098612X19858154. View

13.

Hazuchova K, Gostelow R, Scudder C, Forcada Y, Church D, Niessen S . Acceptance of home blood glucose monitoring by owners of recently diagnosed diabetic cats and impact on quality of life changes in cat and owner. J Feline Med Surg. 2017; 20(8):711-720. PMC: 11104138. DOI: 10.1177/1098612X17727692. View

14.

Callegari C, Mercuriali E, Hafner M, Coppola L, Guazzetti S, Lutz T . Survival time and prognostic factors in cats with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus: 114 cases (2000-2009). J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2013; 243(1):91-5. DOI: 10.2460/javma.243.1.91. View

15.

Wei A, Fascetti A, Villaverde C, Wong R, Ramsey J . Effect of water content in a canned food on voluntary food intake and body weight in cats. Am J Vet Res. 2011; 72(7):918-23. DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.72.7.918. View

16.

de-Oliveira L, Carciofi A, Oliveira M, Vasconcellos R, Bazolli R, Pereira G . Effects of six carbohydrate sources on diet digestibility and postprandial glucose and insulin responses in cats. J Anim Sci. 2008; 86(9):2237-46. DOI: 10.2527/jas.2007-0354. View

17.

ONeill D, Gostelow R, Orme C, Church D, Niessen S, Verheyen K . Epidemiology of Diabetes Mellitus among 193,435 Cats Attending Primary-Care Veterinary Practices in England. J Vet Intern Med. 2016; 30(4):964-72. PMC: 5094533. DOI: 10.1111/jvim.14365. View

18.

. Standards of medical care in diabetes--2011. Diabetes Care. 2011; 34 Suppl 1:S11-61. PMC: 3006050. DOI: 10.2337/dc11-S011. View

19.

Ohlund M, Fall T, Holst B, Hansson-Hamlin H, Bonnett B, Egenvall A . Incidence of Diabetes Mellitus in Insured Swedish Cats in Relation to Age, Breed and Sex. J Vet Intern Med. 2015; 29(5):1342-7. PMC: 4858030. DOI: 10.1111/jvim.13584. View

20.

McCann T, Simpson K, Shaw D, Butt J, Gunn-Moore D . Feline diabetes mellitus in the UK: the prevalence within an insured cat population and a questionnaire-based putative risk factor analysis. J Feline Med Surg. 2007; 9(4):289-99. PMC: 10822632. DOI: 10.1016/j.jfms.2007.02.001. View