Questionnaires were sent to 261 veterinarians, and 150 (57%) were returned with data suitable for statistical analysis.
The median age of the cats with EPI was 7.7 years.
The median body condition score was 3 of 9. Ninety-two of 119 cats (77%) had hypocobalaminemia, and 56 of 119 cats (47%) had increased and 6 of 119 cats (5%) had decreased serum folate concentrations.
Clinical signs included weight loss (91%), unformed feces (62%), poor hair coat (50%), anorexia (45%), increased appetite (42%), lethargy (40%), watery diarrhea (28%), and vomiting (19%).
Eighty-seven cats (58%) had concurrent diseases. Treatment response was reported to be good in 60%, partial in 27%, and poor in 13% of 121 cats.
Trypsin-like immunoreactivity <4 μg/L was associated with a positive response to treatment (OR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.5–7.0; P = .004).
Also, cobalamin supplementation improved the response to treatment (OR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.4–6.6; P = .006).
Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in cats often has a different clinical presentation than in dogs.
The age range for EPI in cats is wide, and many cats can be ≤5 years of age.
Most cats respond well to appropriate treatment for EPI, and cobalamin supplementation appears to be necessary for a good response.
Source: Xenoulis, P.G., Zoran, D.L., Fosgate, G.T., Suchodolski, J.S. and Steiner, J.M. (2016), Feline Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency: A Retrospective Study of 150 Cases. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. doi: 10.1111/jvim.14560
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