TY - JOUR
T1 - Subclinical bacteriuria in a mixed population of 179 middle-aged and elderly cats
T2 - a prospective cross-sectional study
AU - Moberg, Frida S
AU - Langhorn, Rebecca
AU - Bertelsen, Pernille V
AU - Pilegaard, Louise M
AU - Sørensen, Tina M
AU - Bjørnvad, Charlotte R
AU - Damborg, Peter
AU - Kieler, Ida N
AU - Jessen, Lisbeth R
PY - 2020/8/1
Y1 - 2020/8/1
N2 - Objectives: Subclinical bacteriuria (SBU) is the presence of bacteria in urine with no clinical evidence of lower urinary tract disease. The aims of this study were to investigate if being overweight and/or obesity predispose cats to SBU, to investigate previously reported risk factors and to determine the prevalence of SBU in a prospectively sampled cohort of middle-aged and elderly cats. Methods: Cats aged ⩾6 years presenting to the University Hospital for Companion Animals in Copenhagen from 2015–2019 for causes unrelated to the lower urinary tract were eligible for enrolment. Body condition scoring was performed on a 9-point scale. Overweight was defined as a body condition score (BCS) ⩾6 and obese as a BCS ⩾8. The correlation between SBU and the variables of sex, healthy/diseased, age, BCS and comorbidities (chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, hepatic disorders and gastrointestinal disease) were analysed by binominal logistic regression. Results: In total, 179 cats ranging from 6–20 (median 10) years of age were included. SBU was identified in 11/179 cats (6.1%). Being overweight was not a significant risk factor (overweight/obese odds ratio [OR] 0.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.06–1.6, relative risk [RR] 0.3 [95% CI 0.05–1.3] vs lean; P = 0.2) and neither was obesity compared with lean and overweight cats (P = 0.99). Female sex (OR 6.2 [95% CI 1.3–30], RR 4.7 [95% CI 1.5–12] vs male; P = 0.02) and the presence of hepatic disease (OR 7.5 [95% CI 1.4–39], RR 5.3 [95% CI 1.3–12]; P = 0.02) were significant risk factors. Conclusions and relevance: The prevalence of SBU in cats is low, and being overweight/obese was not identified as a predisposing factor. The increased risk associated with hepatic disease has not been previously reported, and further studies are needed to confirm this finding.
AB - Objectives: Subclinical bacteriuria (SBU) is the presence of bacteria in urine with no clinical evidence of lower urinary tract disease. The aims of this study were to investigate if being overweight and/or obesity predispose cats to SBU, to investigate previously reported risk factors and to determine the prevalence of SBU in a prospectively sampled cohort of middle-aged and elderly cats. Methods: Cats aged ⩾6 years presenting to the University Hospital for Companion Animals in Copenhagen from 2015–2019 for causes unrelated to the lower urinary tract were eligible for enrolment. Body condition scoring was performed on a 9-point scale. Overweight was defined as a body condition score (BCS) ⩾6 and obese as a BCS ⩾8. The correlation between SBU and the variables of sex, healthy/diseased, age, BCS and comorbidities (chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, hepatic disorders and gastrointestinal disease) were analysed by binominal logistic regression. Results: In total, 179 cats ranging from 6–20 (median 10) years of age were included. SBU was identified in 11/179 cats (6.1%). Being overweight was not a significant risk factor (overweight/obese odds ratio [OR] 0.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.06–1.6, relative risk [RR] 0.3 [95% CI 0.05–1.3] vs lean; P = 0.2) and neither was obesity compared with lean and overweight cats (P = 0.99). Female sex (OR 6.2 [95% CI 1.3–30], RR 4.7 [95% CI 1.5–12] vs male; P = 0.02) and the presence of hepatic disease (OR 7.5 [95% CI 1.4–39], RR 5.3 [95% CI 1.3–12]; P = 0.02) were significant risk factors. Conclusions and relevance: The prevalence of SBU in cats is low, and being overweight/obese was not identified as a predisposing factor. The increased risk associated with hepatic disease has not been previously reported, and further studies are needed to confirm this finding.
U2 - 10.1177/1098612X19874141
DO - 10.1177/1098612X19874141
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 31537165
SN - 1098-612X
SP - 1098612X19874141
JO - Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery
JF - Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery
ER -
