Environmental Risk Factors for Diabetes Mellitus in Cats.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes in cats resembles type 2 diabetes in people. The etiology is not fully understood, but both genetic and environmental factors are believed to contribute. OBJECTIVES: To assess the associations of environmental risk factors with diabetes in cats. ANIMALS: Cats with a diagnosis of diabetes (n = 396) insured by a Swedish insurance company during years 2009-2013, and a control group (n = 1,670) matched on birth year. METHODS: A web-based questionnaire was used in a case-control study. An invitation to participate was sent to owners of 1,369 diabetic cats and 5,363 control cats. The survey contained questions related to the cat's breed, age, sex, neutering status, body condition, housing, access to the outdoors, activity level, diet, eating behavior, feeding routine, general health, stressful events, other pets in the household, medications, and vaccination status. Data were analyzed by multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Response rate was 35% for the diabetic group and 32% for the control group. Indoor confinement, being a greedy eater, and being overweight were associated with an increased risk of diabetes. In cats assessed by owners as being normal weight, there was an association between eating predominantly dry food and an increased risk of diabetes (Odds ratio 3.8; 95% confidence intervals 1.3-11.2). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Dry food is commonly fed to cats worldwide. The association found between dry food and an increased risk of diabetes in cats assessed as normal weight by owners warrants further attention.

Incidence of Diabetes Mellitus in Insured Swedish Cats in Relation to Age, Breed and Sex.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common endocrinopathy in cats. Most affected cats suffer from a type of diabetes similar to type 2 diabetes in humans. An increasing prevalence has been described in cats, as in humans, related to obesity and other lifestyle factors. OBJECTIVES: To describe the incidence of DM in insured Swedish cats and the association of DM with demographic risk factors, such as age, breed and sex. ANIMALS: A cohort of 504,688 individual cats accounting for 1,229,699 cat-years at risk (CYAR) insured by a Swedish insurance company from 2009 to 2013. METHODS: We used reimbursed insurance claims for the diagnosis of DM. Overall incidence rates and incidence rates stratified on year, age, breed, and sex were estimated. RESULTS: The overall incidence rate of DM in the cohort was 11.6 cases (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.0-12.2) per 10,000 CYAR. Male cats had twice as high incidence rate (15.4; 95% CI, 14.4-16.4) as females (7.6; 95% CI, 6.9-8.3). Domestic cats were at higher risk compared to purebred cats. A significant association with breed was seen, with the Burmese, Russian Blue, Norwegian Forest cat, and Abyssinian breeds at a higher risk compared to other cats. No sex predisposition was found among Burmese cats. Several breeds with a lower risk of DM were identified. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Our results verify that the Burmese breed is at increased risk of developing DM. We also identified several previously unreported breeds with increased or decreased risk of DM.

Laparoscopic ovariectomy in dogs: a comparison of the LigaSure™ and the SonoSurg™ systems.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the surgical times for removal of ovaries, and the frequency of intra-operative complications with two different instruments used for canine laparoscopic ovariectomy. METHODS: A randomised prospective clinical study. Laparoscopic ovariectomy was performed under general anaesthesia on 10 healthy female dogs admitted for elective ovariectomy. Each ovary was randomly assigned to removal by use of either a SonoSurg™ ultrasonic surgical device (Olympus), or a LigaSure™ vessel-sealing system (Valleylab/Covidien). Surgical time for removal of each ovary was measured and the frequency of intra-operative complications was recorded. A follow-up was made by interview with the owners, 2·5 years after surgery. RESULTS: The two techniques did not statistically differ with regard to surgical time, or frequency of complications. All owners were very satisfied with the procedure. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Both the SonoSurg™ and the LigaSure™ devices appear to be effective, safe and easy to use when performing laparoscopic ovariectomy in dogs.

Comparison of haemodynamic changes during two surgical methods for neutering female dogs.

The aim was to investigate if intraoperative registrations of blood pressure and heart rate could be used to estimate surgical trauma. In a prospective clinical trial, registrations in eight dogs neutered by laparoscopic ovariectomy (LOE) were compared with eight dogs subjected to open ovariohysterectomy (OHE). For comparisons phases were used: phase zero=steady state after induction of anaesthesia; phase one=opening of abdomen; phase two=severing of ovarian pedicles; and, phase three=abdominal closure. During LOE, mean systolic blood pressure increased by 7 mmHg (p=0.05) and 15 mmHg (p=0.01) from phase zero to phase one and two, respectively, and during OHE by 3 mmHg (ns) and 29 mmHg (p<0.0001), respectively. The increase from phase one to phase two differed between groups (p=0.03). Heart rate did not change. Frequent intraoperative measurements of blood pressure appear a promising method for evaluating surgical trauma.