Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) in cats imposes significant care-giver burdens, with 20% of all diabetic cats reportedly dead ≤30-days after diagnosis. Risk factors for cats’ not receiving anti-hyperglycemic therapy (AHT) are unreported. Studies evaluating early mortality in cats with DM who receive AHT are limited. Objectives/Hypothesis: Report risk factors for diabetic cats failing to receive AHT, and analyse factors associated with mortality ≤30-days following DM diagnosis in cats starting AHT. Animals: 375 Cats under United Kingdom primary veterinary care with a first lifetime diagnosis of DM in 2019.
Methods: Anonymized retrospective cohort study using electronic health records from VetCompass™. Multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards model were performed, including risk factors (P< 0.2) associated with cats not receiving AHT and ≤30-day mortality when receiving AHT respectively.
Results: 65/375 (17.3%) diabetic cats did not receive AHT. In cats that started AHT (n=310), estimated ≤30-day mortality was 10.0% (95% CI: 7.1-13.8). Cats ≥15.0 years had significantly increased odds of not receiving AHT (OR 2.6 [95% CI: 1.1-6.0], P=.024) (Table 1), and also increased ≤30-day mortality hazard after starting AHT (HR 3.5 [95% CI: 1.2-10.1], P=.019) (Table 2). Presenting clinical signs and co-morbidities were not associated with ≤30-day mortality (P>.05). Conclusions and clinical importance: In this population, almost 20% of diabetic cats were untreated, and greater age was a risk factor for failure to receive AHT and increased ≤30-day mortality. These results provide benchmarking information to assess whether outcomes change following the introduction of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors as treatments for feline DM.
Learning Objectives:
.Upon completion, participant will be able appreciate epidemiological factors associated with diabetes mellitus in cats under UK primary care practice and apply these in referral and international settings.
.Upon completion, participant will be able to appreciate factors associated the decisions for and against anti-hyperglycemic treatment in cats following diagnosis of diabetes mellitus.
.Upon completion, participant will be able to understand risk-factors associated with early mortality in cats treated with anti-hyperglycemic therapy following an initial diagnosis of diabetes mellitus in cats.
