Top 5 Causes of “ADR” in Older Cats Glenn Allen Olah, DVM, PhD, DABVP, Albuquerque Cat Clinic, Albuquerque, New Mexico When ill, cats may exhibit nonspecific clinical signs. Often owners are tuned into their cat’s nuances, so subtle behavior changes may be all that can be provided in a history. For example, the cat may be sleeping more than usual, not socializing as much, eating less, or simply hiding. We refer to these cases as “Ain’t doing right,” or ADR. As certain disease conditions are more common in cats over 10 years of age, a list of ADR causes in geriatric cats is different than those found in kittens or younger cats. The conditions discussed here are not all-inclusive, and older cats frequently present with concurrent diseases. Following is the authors view of the top 5 ADR causes in his practice. 1. Oral disease Oral diseases (eg, periodontal disease, root exposure, tooth resorption, stomatitis, oral masses) are not uncommon, and associated pain can affect quality of life and may contribute to anorexia and weight loss.1 Depending on pathology and on a benefit-and-risk assessment, a dental procedure under anesthesia is not an unreasonable recommendation. Age should not automatically deter a dental procedure under anesthesia.2 2. Chronic kidney disease Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common in cats with an overall prevalence estimated at approximately 1.5%,3,4 and it is diagnosed more frequently in older cats.4-6 An early retrospective study showed 53% of cats ≥7 years of age were diagnosed with CKD,7 and two recent studies suggested between approximately 69%6 and 81%4 of cats ≥10 years of age were diagnosed with CKD. Causes are heterogeneous and rarely identified; the most common histopathologic finding is tubulointerstitial nephritis with variable degrees of fibrosis.8,9 Diagnosis is based on history, physical examination, and presence of renal azotemia with poorly concentrated urine (urine specific gravity
Posted on: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 19:07:00 +0000
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