A study published in the Journal of Small Animal Practice (JSAP) has shown that physical and laboratory variables measured at the time of histopathological diagnosis of chronic inflammatory enteropathy in cats were not predictors of death due to gastrointestinal disease or length of survival.

However, the attainment of clinical remission did reduce the likelihood of subsequent death due to gastrointestinal disease.

In the study titled “Outcome of chronic inflammatory enteropathy in cats: 65 cases (2011-2021)”¹, cats diag­nosed with chronic inflammatory enteropathy were retrospectively identified from three medical records databases, and follow-up information obtained from the referring veterinary surgeon.

This information was used to determine if clinicopathological variables were associated with death due to gastrointestinal disease in diagnosed cats.

Sixty-five cats with chronic inflammatory enteropathy were included in the study, with follow-up information available for 54 cats (83%).

Of these, 37% (n=20) were euthanised due to gastrointestinal disease and 46% (n=25) were alive and in clinical remission, with 64% (n=16) of these diagnosed with food-responsive enteropathy.

The study did not find a correlation between the tested clini­copathological variables, measured at the time of histopathological diag­nosis, and death due to gastrointestinal disease, or length of survival in these cats before death due to gastrointestinal disease.

This, the authors say, suggests that alternative diagnostic measures should be identified to definitively investigate outcome and survival in cats with chronic inflammatory enteropathy.

The study also adds weight to previous research which recommends the use of therapeutic diets in cats with chronic inflammatory enteropathy, although further research is needed to clarify a favourable treatment protocol.

First author, Dr Yuvani Bandara, said: “Knowledge that the attainment of clinical remission reduces the likelihood of subsequent death due to feline chronic inflammatory enteropathy is important for veterinary surgeons and owners.

"We hope that our findings can act as a foundation for further research to investigate factors that support the attainment of clinical remission in affected cats.

"Thank you to BSAVA PetSavers for funding this study.”

Reference

1. Bandara, Y., Priestnall, S.L., Chang, Y.M. and Kathrani, A. (2023), Outcome of chronic inflammatory enteropathy in cats: 65 cases (2011-2021). J Small Anim Pract, 64: 121-129. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsap.13569 

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