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A Questionnaire Survey on Long-Term Outcomes in Cats Breed-Screened for Feline Cardiomyopathy

Anna Follby1, Anna Pettersson2, Ingrid Ljungvall3

  • 1AniCura Läckeby Djursjukhus, SE-395 98 Läckeby, Sweden.

Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI
|October 27, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Feline cardiomyopathy (FCM) significantly impacts cat health. Repeated screenings are vital, as cats diagnosed with FCM, even later in life, face a shorter lifespan and increased cardiac death risk.

Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Cardiology
  • Animal Health
  • Genetics and Breeding

Background:

  • Feline cardiomyopathy (FCM) is a primary cause of illness and death in cats.
  • Breed screening for FCM (BS-FCM) aims to identify at-risk cats early.
  • Long-term outcomes for cats undergoing FCM screening are not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the long-term prognosis of cats screened for feline cardiomyopathy in Nordic countries.
  • To evaluate the impact of FCM diagnosis timing on cardiac-related mortality and overall lifespan.
  • To assess the necessity of repeated screening protocols for feline cardiomyopathy.

Main Methods:

  • An explorative follow-up questionnaire study involving 1113 cats screened for FCM between 2004-2015.
  • Analysis of medical records to identify cats diagnosed with FCM during or after the screening period.
  • Comparison of survival times and causes of death between FCM-affected cats and those without FCM.

Main Results:

  • 9.3% of screened cats developed FCM, with over half diagnosed during screening.
  • Cats diagnosed with FCM, whether through screening or later reporting, had a higher risk of cardiac death.
  • FCM-affected cats exhibited significantly shorter lifespans compared to unaffected cats.

Conclusions:

  • A substantial percentage of cats develop FCM after initial screening, highlighting the need for repeated screenings.
  • Early or later diagnosis of FCM is associated with reduced lifespan and increased cardiac mortality.
  • Non-cardiac morbidities did not differ significantly across screening groups, suggesting FCM is the primary driver of mortality differences.

Keywords:
cardiomyopathyheart diseasemorbiditymortalitysurvival

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