The case records of 106 cats with idiopathic cardiomyopathy that presented to the Feline Centre of the University of Bristol between September 1994 and September 2001 were reviewed retrospectively. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) was the most common form seen (57.5%), followed by restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) (20.7%), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) (10.4%) and unclassified cardiomyopathy (UCM) (10.4%). One cat showed echocardiographic changes compatible with a moderator band cardiomyopathy (MBCM). Most affected cats were domestic short hairs (DSH) (57.5%). The mean (+/-SD, range) age of cats with cardiomyopathy at presentation was 6.8 (4.3, 0.5-16) years, with an equal distribution of males and females. Clinical findings, electrocardiographic changes and radiographic abnormalities were also reviewed. The median survival time for 73 cats for which follow-up data was available was 300 days. A greater survival time was observed for cats with UCM (925 days) when compared with those with HCM (492 days), RCM (132 days) or DCM (11 days).

A retrospective study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of different diseases in cats referred for investigation of chronic nasal disease, to identify historical, clinical and diagnostic features which may assist in making a diagnosis, and to provide information pertaining to outcome in these cats. Diagnoses included neoplasia (30 cases), chronic rhinitis (27), foreign body (8), nasopharyngeal stenosis (5), Actinomyces infection (2), nasal polyps (2), stenotic nares (2), and rhinitis subsequent to trauma (1). The most common neoplasia was lymphosarcoma (21 cases), with a median survival of 98 days for cats treated with multiagent chemotherapy. Cats with neoplasia were older on average than the other cats, and were more likely to be dyspnoeic and have a haemorrhagic and/or unilateral nasal discharge than cats with chronic rhinitis. Cats with neoplasia were more likely to have radiographic evidence of nasal turbinate destruction, septal changes, or severe increases in soft tissue density than cats with chronic rhinitis. It was unusual for cats with diseases other than neoplasia to be euthanased as a result of their nasal disease.

In preparing these Guidelines, the Panel has carefully reviewed the existing published literature, and has also graded the quality of evidence for different interventions to help to provide practical recommendations on the therapeutic options for feline CKD. This is a field of veterinary medicine that has benefited from some excellent published clinical research and further research findings will undoubtedly modify the recommendations contained in these Guidelines in the future.

This study was undertaken to evaluate reference ranges for systolic blood pressure (SBP) in cats under conditions mimicking a clinical setting. SBP was measured in 50 healthy adult cats of various ages (range, 1.5-16 years) and body weights (range, 2.2-6.1 kg) by Doppler ultrasonic sphygmomanometry. A cuff width of 2.5 cm was used, placed on the left antebrachium, and this represented a mean cuff width of 35% limb circumference (range, 31-42%). The mean (+/-SD) SBP in the 50 cats was 162 +/- 19 mm Hg (range 124-210), with only 1 cat having a SBP > or = 200 mm Hg. No significant difference (P > .05) in SBP was found between male and female cats, and no significant correlation was found between SBP and age (r(s) = 0.075) or body weight (r(s) = 0.007). Further studies in some of these cats indicated that allowing a period of 10 minutes for acclimatization to the environment where SBP was recorded resulted in a significant decrease in SBP from 176 +/- 17 to 157 +/- 21 mm Hg (n = 7) and that use of a 3.3-cm-width cuff resulted in a significant decrease in measured SBP from 168 +/- 13 to 164 +/- 13 mm Hg (n = 10). Reproducibility of SBP measurements was evaluated in 7 cats by assessing SBP 7 times at intervals of > or = 24 hours over a 10-day period. These 7 cats had a low intraindividual coefficient of variation of SBP measurements (CV < or = 7.9%) although 2 of the 7 cats had SBP values > 200 mm Hg on at least 1 occasion.

There has been little research into brachycephalism and associated disorders in cats. A questionnaire aimed at cat owners was used to determine the relationship between feline facial conformation and owner-reported cat management requirements and respiratory abnormalities. Owner-submitted photographs of cats were used to develop novel measures of skull conformation. One thousand valid questionnaires were received. Within these there were 373 valid photographs that allowed measurement of muzzle ratio (M%) and 494 that allowed nose position ratio (NP%). The data included 239 cats for which both measurements were available. Owners reported lifestyle factors (e.g. feeding type, grooming routine, activity level), physical characteristics (e.g. hair length) and other health characteristics of their cat (e.g. tear staining, body condition score). A composite respiratory score (RS) was calculated for each cat using their owner’s assessment of respiratory noise whilst their cat was asleep and then breathing difficulty following activity. Multivariate analyses were carried out using linear models to explore the relationship between RS and facial conformation, and lifestyle risk factors. The results showed that reductions in NP% and M% were significantly associated with RS (P < 0.001 and P = 0.026, respectively) and that the relationship was significantly negatively correlated (r = -0.56, P < 0.001 for both). Respiratory score was also significantly associated with increased presence of tear staining (P < 0.001) and a sedentary lifestyle (P = 0.01). This study improves current knowledge concerning cats with breeding-related alterations in skull confirmation and indicates that brachycephalism may have negative respiratory implications for cat health and welfare, as has been previously shown in dogs.

No abstract

Fifteen cats infected with Chlamydophila felis were monitored for the presence of C. felis DNA on ocular swabs by using real-time PCR and for clinical signs of disease. The cats were assigned to three groups: oral doxycycline at 10 mg/kg of body weight/day for 7 days (six cats), oral doxycycline at 10 mg/kg/day for 14 days (five cats), and an untreated control group (four cats). The untreated cats remained positive for C. felis throughout the trial; clinical signs were most severe on days 14 to 21 postinfection, and then they declined. Treatment with 7 and 14 days of doxycycline decreased C. felis relative copy numbers and clinical signs rapidly. C. felis became undetectable in some of the cats during or after treatment. However, after the cessation of treatment, a recurrence of high relative copy numbers of C. felis and severe clinical signs in all cats was seen. Rescue treatment with 21 days of doxycycline was successful at eliminating infection in eight of the cats; a further 28 days of doxycycline was required to eliminate infection in the remaining three cats. It was concluded that 7, 14, and, in some cases, 21 days of treatment with oral doxycycline will not eliminate C. felis infection. At least 28 days of treatment with doxycycline is required to ensure elimination of the organism. Real-time PCR is a sensitive technique for monitoring C. felis infection and the response to antibiotic treatment.

Two recombinant FIPV spike proteins were assessed for their immunogenic properties in 8-week-old kittens, which were then challenged intranasally with FIPV 79-1146. Humoral responses were assessed by ELISA and serum neutralisation test. Changes in PBMC cytokine mRNA levels were detected by a reverse transcription, semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction assay (RT-sqPCR), assessing IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12 and IFNgamma. All of the kittens developed clinical signs typical of FIP, which were confirmed on gross post mortem examination. The recombinant proteins induced little or no specific antibody response prior to challenge, and failed to alter the course of disease compared to controls. One week after virus challenge, the stimulated PBMCs showed small increases in the expression of IL-6 and IFNgamma mRNA, which correlated with a transient pyrexia. After this time expression of IL-6 mRNA remained unaltered but, as FIP developed, mRNA levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12 and IFNgamma became markedly depressed.