Prevalence of disorders recorded in cats attending primary-care veterinary practices in England

O'Neill, D G; Church, D B; McGreevy, P D; Thomson, P C; Brodbelt, D C

Abstract

Improved understanding of absolute and relative prevalence values for common feline disorders could support clinicians when listing differential diagnoses and also assist prioritisation of breeding, research and health control strategies. This study aimed to analyse primary-care veterinary clinical data within the VetCompass project to estimate the prevalence of the most common disorders recorded in cats in England and to evaluate associations with purebred status. It was hypothesised that common disorders would be more prevalent in purebred than in crossbred cats.

From a study population of 142,576 cats attending 91 clinics across Central and South-East England from 1 September 2009 to 15 January 2014, a random sample of 3584 was selected for detailed clinical review to extract information on all disorders recorded. The most prevalent diagnosis-level disorders were periodontal disease (n = 499; prevalence, 13.9%, 95% confidence intervals [CI], 12.5–15.4), flea infestation (n = 285; prevalence, 8.0%; 95% CI, 7.0–8.9) and obesity (n = 239; prevalence, 6.7%; 95% CI, 5.7–7.6). The most prevalent disorder groups recorded were dental conditions (n = 540; prevalence, 15.1%, 95% CI, 13.6–16.6), traumatic injury (n = 463; prevalence, 12.9%; 95% CI, 11.6–14.3) and dermatological disorders (n = 373; prevalence, 10.4%; 95% CI, 9.2–11.7). Crossbred cats had a higher prevalence of abscesses (excluding cat bite abscesses) (P = 0.009) and hyperthyroidism (P = 0.002) among the 20 most common disorders recorded. Purebreds had a higher prevalence for coat disorders (P 

Citation

O'Neill, D. G., Church, D. B., McGreevy, P. D., Thomson, P. C., & Brodbelt, D. C. (in press). Prevalence of disorders recorded in cats attending primary-care veterinary practices in England. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.08.004

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 4, 2014
• Deposit Date: Nov 11, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 11, 2014
• Journal: VETERINARY JOURNAL
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 202
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 286-291
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.08.004
• Public URL: https://rvc-repository.worktribe.com/output/1405110
• Additional Information: Corporate Creators : Sydney