Clinical/research abstracts accepted for presentation at the AAFP World Feline Conference 2019

AAFP Conference abstracts A total of 13 clinical/research abstracts were accepted for either oral presentation or inclusion in a poster session held during the 2019 AAFP Conference in San Francisco, CA, USA, 31 October to 3 November.

Pilot Study to See if a Pet Health Technology Ecosystem (PHTE) Can Help in a Weight Management Program in Multiple-Cat Households

Kenneth J Lambrecht¹, Barr Hadar², Theresa Bernardo²

¹West Towne Veterinary Center, Madison, WI, USA

²Ontario Veterinary College, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Email: [e-mail]

Purpose: The objective of this pilot study was to establish how a Pet Health Technology Ecosystem (PHTE) (smart feeder, webcam, activity monitor/app, and digital scale) could be used in a weight management program in multiple-cat households.

Summary of methods, results and conclusions: Nine veterinarians supervised nine households of two indoor-only cats in which at least one cat had a body condition score of 7–9/9. The veterinarians were first asked to perform a nutritional assessment and calorie calculations using the Pet Nutrition Alliance calculator, with an initial goal of 1% body weight loss per week and 2-week check-ins. Two weeks of a technology/diet acclimation period were followed by 4 weeks of caloric restriction. Clients were instructed to weigh cats twice weekly and enter those weights in both a paper diary and on an activity monitor app, along with any observations regarding cat behavior or device issues, including webcam videoclips. Research ethics board approval and participant consent was obtained to administer a survey to the clients and veterinarians afterwards to collect their observations of cat behaviors and satisfaction with the various devices, and to measure the human–animal bond.

Four out of nine client surveys and 8/9 veterinary surveys were returned. Diaries from 7/9 owners were received. Average weight loss was 0.84% per week over a 4-week period for 14 cats. The dropout rate was 22%.

A PHTE was found to be effective for gathering weight management data remotely and this short, small, uncontrolled pilot study resulted in weight loss rates about the same as previously reported without a strict feeding protocol. A randomized controlled observational study for further investigation was conducted in 2019.

Quantification and Evaluation of Cortisol in Feline Fur and Claws: A Novel, Non-Invasive Measurement of Chronic Stress in Cats

Elena T Contreras, Michael R Lappin

Department of Clinical Sciences, Center for Companion Animal Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

Email: [e-mail]

Purpose: The goal of this study was to determine whether feline nail and hair cortisol concentrations could be used as a measure of chronic stress in cats. The objectives were to validate an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to determine cortisol concentrations in cat nails and hair, and to evaluate associations among cortisol results and behavioral and medical stress indicators.

Summary of background/objectives, methods, results and conclusions: Chronic stress, implicated in feline behavioral and health issues, is often unrecognized and inaccurately assessed. Cortisol concentrations are frequently measured in serum, saliva, urine or feces in an attempt to estimate stress. However, cortisol concentrations in these bodily fluids and feces only reflect short-term changes (<24 h). Estimating chronic stress necessitates quantification of cortisol over longer time periods. Since cortisol accumulates in hair and nails over weeks to months, increases in hair and nail cortisol concentrations might be indicators of chronic stress. Feline hair and nail cortisol concentrations have not yet been assessed by EIA.

Fifty adult owned or community cats were included in this study. Patches of fur (2 x 2 cm) were clipped from various body areas, and front and rear nails were clipped. A commercial laboratory extracted and quantified the cortisol from the samples and validated a commercial EIA kit. Medical and behavioral questionnaires were designed, and these were completed by the owners of the owned cats. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between average hair and nail cortisol concentrations and associated factors identified from the questionnaires.

The EIA was successfully validated for the quantification of cat hair and nail cortisol. Large variations in hair cortisol concentrations were detected within cats depending on the body location from which the hair was clipped, hair type and portion of hair sampled, while nail cortisol concentrations were generally consistent within each cat. Overall cortisol concentrations are listed in Table 1.

Table 1

Cortisol concentrations (pg/mg)

	Mean (SD)	Median (range)
Hair	9.9 (23.5)	4.1 (0.8–156)
Nail	1.2 (1.8)	0.6 (0.1–10.3)
Overall	5.6 (17.1)	2.0 (0.1–156)

There was a positive correlation between hair and nail cortisol concentration, r = 0.84, P <0.001. Univariate analysis for nail cortisol concentration identified the following significant associations: being front declawed (P = 0.001; 95% CI 1.1–4.0); unkempt fur (P = 0.003; 95% CI 0.6–2.9); chronic illness (P = 0.02; 95% CI 0.2–2.2); and age (P = 0.02; 95% CI 0.02–0.2). Univariate analysis for hair cortisol concentration only identified one significant association: being front declawed (P = 0.001; 95% CI 13.5–50.6).

Multivariate regression for nail cortisol concentration identified three significant associations: unkempt fur, litter box issues and being front declawed (P = 0.006), with an R2 of 0.37.

This study suggests that quantitation of nail cortisol by EIA may prove to be an accurate measure of chronic stress in cats. This noninvasive, objective tool could be used to recognize chronic stress in individual cats so that interventions could be started and monitored, ultimately improving animal welfare. In contrast, the hair cortisol variation in cats renders use of this medium inaccurate.

This work was funded by the Winn Feline Foundation/Miller Trust as the 2017 New Feline Investigator Award in memory of Fred Jacobberger.

Open-Label Pilot Efficacy Study of Recombinant Feline Erythropoietin in Client-Owned Cats With Non-Regenerative Anemia

Beasley Mason, Stephanie Pierce, Tianhua Hu, Melinda Poole

Kindred Biosciences, Burlingame, CA, USA

Email: [e-mail]

Purpose: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of recombinant feline erythropoietin (rfEPO) on hematocrit (HCT) and quality of life (QoL) in client-owned cats with non-regenerative anemia secondary to International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Summary of methods, results and conclusions: Twenty-three client-owned cats at least 1 year of age with IRIS stage 3 CKD and non-regenerative anemia with an HCT of 15–30% were enrolled. Cats were excluded if they had rapidly progressing CKD, defined as a 25% increase in fasting serum creatinine between two consecutive evaluations, had been treated with an erythropoietin stimulating agent, or had been administered whole or packed red blood cells within 6 weeks of baseline. Cats with any of the following diseases or conditions were also excluded: neoplasia, liver disease, feline leukemia virus infection, feline immunodeficiency virus infection, diabetes mellitus, uncontrolled hyperthyroidism, HCT <15% or systemic blood pressure >160 mmHg. Owners provided consent prior to any cat being subjected to study-related procedures.

On day 0, rfEPO was initiated at 3 μg/kg SC. Subsequent doses at weeks 1–5 were tailored to each cat. HCT assessments were performed on-site at all scheduled and unscheduled study visits. Doses were administered no more frequently than weekly. A cat was considered a treatment success if the HCT returned to within the laboratory normal reference interval by week 6 or the HCT had improved by 30% compared with baseline. Owners completed a validated, generic, feline health-related quality of life (HRQL) assessment online on day 0, and weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

In this study, rfEPO rapidly increased mean HCT, with a statistically significant improvement seen as early as week 1 (P <0.0001). The effect was sustained at weeks 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 (P <0.0001 at each visit). Compared with baseline, the mean peak relative improvement in HCT was 55.4%. In addition, 95.5% of the 22 evaluable patients achieved treatment success over the 6-week treatment period. Furthermore, cats treated with rfEPO demonstrated statistically significant improvements over baseline (P <0.01 to P <0.05) across all three HRQL domains: vitality, comfort and emotional wellbeing, as measured by a validated QoL instrument.

The administration of rfEPO was generally well tolerated. Based on preliminary review, adverse events were mild, and most were consistent with underlying CKD. No cat required early discontinuation of rfEPO owing to an adverse event associated with treatment. Two cats were humanely euthanized due to rapidly progressive CKD or osteoarthritis.

In this study, treatment success was achieved in 95.5% of the 22 evaluable client-owned cats with non-regenerative anemia secondary to IRIS stage 3 CKD administered rfEPO. Based on a preliminary review of the safety data, rfEPO appears to be generally well tolerated.

This study was sponsored by Kindred Biosciences.

Attitudes of French Feline Veterinarians and Breeders Towards Prepubertal Neutering

Anne-Claire Gagnon¹, Camille Langlade², Samuel Buff², Emilie Rosset²

¹La Clé des Chats, Saint André-Lez-Lille 59350, France

²Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup, Marcy l’Etoile 69280, France

Email: [e-mail]

Purpose: Despite evidence that early spay/castration is safe and helps prevent overpopulation and relinquishment, data are lacking regarding the attitudes of cat breeders and veterinarians regarding this procedure.

Summary of methods, results and conclusions: Between the end of June and the end of September 2017, three surveys were conducted in France using SurveyMonkey to investigate the attitudes towards neutering in cats among breeders, feline practitioners and small animal veterinarians. The web-based questionnaires were designed with similar questions, asking breeders if they request neutering before selling kittens and asking veterinarians if they neuter kittens before 4 months of age. Advantages, disadvantages and specific questions were addressed using free-text answers.

Questionnaires were returned by 999 breeders, 609 small animal veterinarians and 10 feline practitioners (Figures 1 and 2).

Figure 1

Percentage of feline practitioners, small animal veterinarians and breeders who perform or require neutering before 4 months of age

Figure 2

Percentage of feline practitioners and small animal veterinarians who perform neutering before 4 months of age at the request of breeders, owners and/or shelters (more than one answer possible)

Of the vets that performed prepubertal neutering consistently or occasionally (235/609), 11% of small animal veterinarians performed surgical gonadectomy on kittens at 2 months, 52% at 3 months and 37% at 4 months of age. Of those not neutering by 4 months, 80% did so by 6 months of age.

The main advantages given by breeders for early spay/castration were: peace of mind for them and expected peace of mind for the future owner, better recovery for the kitten, control of reproduction and prevention of backyard breeding.

Feline practitioners expressed that early gonadectomy was easy to do, offered faster recovery for the kitten, reduced urine odour in the hospital associated with sexually mature tom cats and reduced stress for everyone.

The main advantages given by small animal veterinarians neutering before or at 4 months were: faster and easier surgery (no fat, no unplanned discoveries during surgery), faster recovery and less pain for the kitten, no unwanted litters and reduced relinquishment.

Very few disadvantages were expressed by breeders other than needing to bear the cost of surgery. Very few veterinarians expressed disadvantages other than needing to be more careful about anesthetic protocols.

Prepubertal neutering is commonly requested by breeders in France; this has driven veterinarians to adopt new practices. Despite the strong evidence that prepubertal neutering is safe, an illogical fear and a reluctance to change remains among many veterinarians. Advantages noted by breeders and veterinarians include lower stress, better recovery and protection against backyard breeding, all resulting in better short- and long-term wellbeing of cats.

Hematological and Bone Marrow Evaluation of Feline Leukemia Virus-Infected Cats With Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Fernanda V Amorim da Costa¹, Naila C B Duda², Gabriela C Schaefer², Lucía C Ortiz², Stella de F Valle³, Silvana B Vidor²

¹Department of Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

²Graduate Program in Veterinary Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

³Department of Clinical Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

Email: [e-mail]

Purpose: The objective of this study was to describe the abnormalities observed in blood and bone marrow examination of feline leukemia virus (FeLV)-infected cats with leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome.

Summary of background/objectives, methods, results and conclusions: FeLV infection is associated with neoplastic diseases, including leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs). This prospective study included six cats with FeLV, admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Rio Grande do Sul Federal University, diagnosed by a rapid immunoassay ELISA (SNAP FIV/FeLV Combo Test; IDEXX Laboratories) with hematological abnormalities. Bone marrow was collected by aspiration from the proximal humerus for evaluation based on the cell count of 500–1000 cells and morphological evaluation of the different hematopoietic populations. In five cats, the presence of the FeLV in the bone marrow was confirmed by real-time PCR, using a primer with a product size of 60 base pairs, located in the U3 region of the long terminal repeat (LTR).

The mean age of the patients was 3.25 years (ranging from 6 months to 6 years), including one intact male, one intact female, one neutered male and three spayed female mixed-breed cats. The patients lived from 3 to 61 days (mean of 22 days), and treatment included blood transfusion in one cat (cat 3). The diagnoses based on the bone marrow examination were: MDS with erythroid predominance (MDS-Er; cats 2 and 4), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL; cats 1, 5 and 6) and erythroleukemia subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML-M6; cat 3). Hematologic alterations are described in Table 1 and bone marrow findings in Table 2.

Table 1

Complete blood count results with myelodysplastic syndrome and leukemia in six cats

Cat number	1	2	3	4	5	6
Hematocrit (%)	10	20	11	12	29	19
Reticulocytes (%)	0.11	1.10	0.12	1.99	0	0
Platelets (103/μl)	88	197	82	75	45	32
Leukocytes (103/μl)	15.7	15.5	26.2	7.2	437	38.6
Neutrophils (103/μl)	8.01	11.00	6.29	3.82	4.370	0
Lymphocytes (103/μl)	6.44	4.03	15.98	3.10	42.39	38.60

Table 2

Bone marrow findings in six cats with myelodysplastic syndrome and leukemia

Cat	Cellularity	Megakaryocytes	M:E ratio	Mature erythroids	Immature erythroids	Mature myeloids (%)	Immature myeloids	Lymphocytes	Atypical lymphocytes	Dysplastic changes
										E	G	M
1	50	D	1.658	22.40	2.20	38.40	2.40	32.20	+	+	+	-
2	95	N	0.764	44.88	3.38	33.00	3.88	13.38	+	+	+	+
3	90	N	0.926	7.50	*	7.84		18.01
4	90	N	0.294	52.70	14.00	15.65	4.10	10.50	-	+	+	+
5	85	N	ND	2.00	0	1.00	0	90.00	+	-	-
6	85	D	ND	0.50	0.50	0.50	0.50	97.00	+	-	+	-

D = decreased; N = normal; E = erythroid cells; G = granulocytic cells; M = megakaryocytic cells; ND = not determined; + = yes; – = no

*

66% of rubriblasts, myeloblasts and monoblasts

The proposed mechanism of hematological changes is related to the insertional mutagenesis caused by the virus, which triggers a neoplastic transformation of the hematopoietic cells leading to a poor prognosis for the infected cats. As a consequence, myeloproliferative disorders are characterized by hematopoietic tissue substitution and, hence, bone marrow suppression, resulting in peripheral cytopenias and dysplastic alterations in different cell lines.

Profile of Cats With Mammary Tumors and Their Comorbidities Diagnosed in a Prospective Study at a Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Southern Brazil Between January 2017 and December 2018

Silvana B Vidor¹, Angelica Cavalheiro Bertagnolli², Fabíola P S Mello³, Simone P Bianchi¹, Maria Eduarda Baier¹, Fernanda V A da Costa⁴, Emerson Antonio Contesini¹

¹Graduate Program in Veterinary Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

²Laboratory of Histopathology, State Foundation of Agricultural Research, Institute of Veterinary Research, El Dourado do Sul, RS, Brazil

³Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Rio Grande do Sul Federal University, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

⁴Department of Animal Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

Email: [e-mail]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the profile and concomitant diseases in cats with mammary tumors admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) of Rio Grande do Sul Federal University, in Porto Alegre, Brazil, between January 2017 and December 2018.

Summary of background/objectives, methods, results and conclusions: Mammary tumors are the third-most frequent type of neoplasia in cats. In Brazil, there are few studies on comorbidities in these patients.

This prospective study included 34 female cats with mammary tumors treated at the VTH for 2 years. Data collected from the patients included: epidemiological information, tumor staging, treatment, histological type, patients’ comorbidities and frequency of prophylactic care. Descriptive statistics used Microsoft Excel. The mean age of the cats was 10.9 (range 3–17 years). Most cats (n = 29, 85%) were of mixed breed, and other breeds included Siamese (n = 4, 12%), and Himalayan (n = 1, 3%). Only 24 (71%) were neutered before the age of 2 years (range 0.5–8) and, of these, only six (18%) were neutered before 1 year. Fifteen (44%) had a history of exogenous progesterone administration to prevent pregnancy.

When classified according to clinical staging, 10 (29%) cats were in stage 1; seven (21%) in stage 2; 10 (29%) in stage 3; and seven (21%) in stage 4. The treatments performed were: unilateral mastectomy (n = 11, 32.35%), bilateral mastectomy (n = 4, 11.76%), unilateral mastectomy and chemotherapy (n = 4, 11.76%), palliative treatment and delayed euthanasia (n = 4, 11.76%), excisional biopsy (n = 3, 8.82%), euthanasia at the time of diagnosis (n = 3, 8.82%), chemotherapy and euthanasia (n = 2, 5.88%), excisional biopsy and delayed unilateral mastectomy (n = 1, 2.94%) and mastectomy with splenectomy (n = 1, 2.94%). The 34th patient died before starting treatment.

The histological types of tumors with the highest occurrence were cribriform (n = 11, 32%), tubulopapillary (n = 9, 27%) and tubular (n = 2, 6%). Twelve cats (35%) presented tumors with histological grade 3, while six (18%) presented with grade 2 and another six (18%) with grade 1. Twenty-two cats (65%) had International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 1, three cats (9%) had stage 2 and three (9%) had stage 3 CKD.

Other comorbidities found in the patients were: inflammatory cystitis (n = 6, 17%), orthopedic disease (n = 6, 17%), triaditis (n = 4, 12%), pancreatitis (n = 3, 9%), inflammatory bowel disease (n = 2, 6%), cholangiohepatitis (n = 2, 6%), hepatitis (n = 1, 3%), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (n = 1, 3%) and extrahepatic biliary adenocarcinoma (n = 1, 3%).

Only four (12%) cats went to the veterinarian periodically, and only two owners palpated the cats’ mammary glands periodically. One (3%) cat was vaccinated annually, 20 (59%) had access to the street, two (6%) received flea medication and 34 (100%) were dewormed 2–3 times a year.

CKD and other diseases are common in cats aged over 7 years, so periodic visits to the veterinarian are important for them. In addition, cats should be spayed at an early age. One possible explanation for the data obtained in this study is that the research was performed at a VTH in Brazil, where most cats have owners with a low income. Thus, it is concluded that a culture of disease prevention should be created for the feline population of southern Brazil, especially with respect to early spaying and castration, and disease prevention in geriatric patients.

This study was funded by Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior, Education Ministry (CAPES-MEC).

Treatment of Feline Generalized Demodicosis With Oral Afoxolaner

Nilcéia de V Ramos¹, Bárbara B do N Pereira², Rita de C da S Neves¹, Juliana Werner³, Victor Ferreira⁴, Camilla da S Q Azambuja², Luciano A Barros¹, Flavya Mendes-de-Almeida¹

¹Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brazil

²Clinicat Veterinary Clinic, Niterói, RJ, Brazil

³Werner&Werner, Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

⁴Niterói Veterinary Hospital, Laboratory of Clinical Pathology, Niteroi, RJ, Brazil

Email: [e-mail]

Purpose: This report describes a case of dermatitis caused by Demodex gatoi, diagnosed in a cat by fecal flotation technique and treated with oral afoxolaner.

Case description: Feline demodicosis is a rare dermatitis, caused by Demodex mites. D gatoi is a contagious pruritic mite that inhabits the stratum corneum of cats, rarely associated with underlying disease. Clinical signs of demodicosis may include dermatitis and alopecia. Miticidal treatment includes lime sulfur or amitraz dips, which can lead to poor owner compliance and toxicity in cats; or ivermectin, which is associated with neurological signs.

A 2-year-old neutered male mixed-breed shelter cat presented with chronic pruritus, self-induced ulcerative dermatitis around the cervical region (6 cm width; Figure 1), and erythema with alopecia of the flanks and limbs. The cat was taken into foster care to minimize environmental stress. Dinotefuran/pyriproxyfen was administered topically to rule out flea infestation. General physical examination (thoracic auscultation and abdominal palpation) was otherwise normal. Skin cytology showed intense inflammation and bacterial infection. No mites were present in skin scrapes/acetate tape imprints. D gatoi was identified only by fecal examination (mean body length 102 μm). Skin biopsy was taken 2 months prior to treatment and showed chronic active dermatitis; the second skin biopsy was taken 1 month after the first administration of afoxolaner and histopathology was normal. Ancillary tests are shown in Table 1.

Figure 1

Patient before (a) and after (b) treatment with oral afoxolaner

Table 1

Ancilliary tests before and after treatment with oral afoxolaner

Tests	Results
	Before treatment	After treatment
FIV/FeLV	FeLV reagent	-
CBC	Normal	Normal
Serum biochemistry	Hyperglobulinemia	Normal
Culture
Dermatophyte	Negative
Sporothrix species	Negative	-
Bacterial	Pseudomonas aeruginosa (enrofloxacin sensitive)	-
Cytology
Skin	Intense inflammation; bacterial infection	Normal
Ears	Normal	Normal
Skin scraps/acetate tape imprint	Normal	Normal
Trichography	Fractured hair	Normal
Otoscopy	Normal	Normal
Fecal examination	Demodex gatoi	Negative
Histopathology	Chronic active dermatitis	Normal

FIV = feline immunodeficiency virus; FeLV = feline leukemia virus; CBC = complete blood count

The ulcerative lesion was treated with enrofloxacin 5 mg/kg PO q24h for 30 days, according to antibiogram results. Clemastine 0.68 mg/cat PO q12h was used for 7 days. However, intense pruritus remained, so an anti-inflammatory dose of prednisolone 0.5 mg/kg PO q24h was administered until pruritus diminished (10 days). Miticidal treatment was initiated 3 months after the cat was moved to foster care in order to observe the effects of the environment on the course of infestation. Afoxolaner was administered in three doses, 2.5 mg/kg PO every 28 days. As the isoxazoline class of chemical compounds is considered safe for mammals, afoxolaner was chosen.

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of the use of afoxolaner to treat feline demodicosis, although fluralaner has already been used successfully. No side effects were observed during or after treatment. The complete blood count/biochemistry panel remained normal. Fecal samples were analyzed weekly for 20 weeks (Table 2). One week after the first administration of afoxolaner, fecal examinations were negative for Demodex mites. Fecal examinations should be included in cases of pruritus to rule out demodicosis. Oral afoxolaner was safe for treating generalized demodicosis in this patient.

Table 2

Fecal examination timeline

Timeline	Weeks	Results
Pre-treatment	1–4	Demodex gatoi
Treatment	5	Demodex gatoi
	6–15	Negative
Post-treatment	16–20	Negative

Antibodies Against Feline Panleukopenia Virus, Herpesvirus and Calicivirus in Retrovirus-Seropositive Cats Compared With Retrovirus-Seronegative Cats

Eva Spada, Roberta Perego, Luciana Baggiani, Daniela Proverbio

Department of Veterinary Medicine (DIMEVET), University of Milan, Italy

Email: [e-mail]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyse antibody profiles in retrovirus-seronegative and retrovirus-seropositive cats after vaccination or field infection with feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) and feline calicivirus (FCV).

Summary of background/objectives, methods, results and conclusions: Many factors affect response to vaccines or pathogens, including congenital or acquired immunodeficiencies. Retroviral infections with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) are the most commonly acquired feline immunodeficiencies. Efficacy of vaccination in retrovirus-infected cats is a subject of debate. The study objectives were to identify any differences in antibody profile against field or vaccine FPV, FHV-1 and FCV in retrovirus-seropositive cats as compared with retrovirus-seronegative cats.

Frozen archived surplus serum samples from 64 randomly selected retrovirus-seropositive cats (34 FIV+, 23 FeLV+ and 7 FIV+FeLV coinfected cats) and 64 retrovirus-seronegative cats were used in this study. Samples were originally tested for clinical reasons for antibody to FIV target antigens p24 and gp40 and for FeLV p27 antigen using a commercial rapid ELISA kit (SNAP Combo Plus FeLV Ag/FIV Ab). A feline-specific point-of-care ELISA (ImmunoComb, Feline VacciCheck) previously validated for the determination of protective antibody titers (PAT) against FPV, FHV-1 and FCV (1:80, 1:16 and 1:32, respectively) was used to measure antibody titers. Data on signalment (age, breed, sex), origin (owned, shelter, stray), health (healthy/unhealthy) and vaccination status (last trivalent vaccination <3 years, between 3 and 7 years, never accinated, unknown) were statistically compared between retrovirus-seropositive and retrovirus-seronegative cats.

No statistically significant differences were observed in the number of FIV+, FeLV+ and FIV+FeLV coinfected cats with PAT for FPV, FHV-1 and FCV compared with retrovirus-seronegative cats (Figure 1 and Table 1). There were significantly fewer young cats (⩽1 year old) (P = 0.0019) in the FIV+ group (0/34) in comparison with retrovirus-seronegative cats (16/64). Unhealthy cats had a higher incidence of FeLV+ (14/23, P = 0.0193) and FIV+FeLV coinfection (6/7, P = 0.0066) than retrovirus-seronegative cats (21/64). Finally, FIV+FeLV coinfected cats had received fewer (3/7 never vaccinated, P = 0.0215) and less frequent vaccinations (0/7 vaccinated in the past 3 years, P = 0.0057) than retrovirus-seronegative cats (29/64 and 5/64, respectively).

Figure 1

Percentage of retrovirus-seronegative, and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-, feline leukemia virus (FeLV)- and FIV+FeLV-seropositive cats with protective antibody titers against feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) and feline calicivirus (FCV)

Table 1

Number of retrovirus-seropositive cats with protective antibody titers against field or vaccine FPV, FHV-1 and FCV compared with retrovirus-seronegative cats

Protective antibody titers	Retrovirus-seronegative (n = 64)	FIV+ (n = 34)	P value	FeLV+ (n = 23)	P value	FIV+FeLV coinfected (n = 7)	P value
FPV	44	24	0.8517	12	0.1569	5	0.8855
FHV-1	36	23	0.2750	9	0.1612	5	0.4434
FCV	52	32	0.0847	20	0.5367	5	0.5381

FPV = feline panleukopenia virus; FHV-1 = feline herpesvirus type 1; FCV = feline calicivirus; FIV = feline immunodeficiency virus; FeLV = feline leukaemia virus

Antibody levels against field or vaccine strains of FPV, FHV-1 and FCV in retrovirus-seropositive cats were similar to those in retrovirus-seronegative cats. Based on these results and supporting a recent study in the literature, retrovirus-seropositive cats seem to mount a normal antibody response to common field or vaccine viruses.

Gross Pathology and Surgical Removal of P3 Fragments in Declawed Cats

Nicole K Martell-Moran

Feline Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA

Email: [e-mail]

Purpose: The objectives of this case series were to document physical findings in declawed cats with third phalanx (P3) fragments and describe the approach to surgical removal with proper digital pad alignment.

Case series summary: Clinical findings and surgical intervention are dicsussed in relation to 83 declawed cats: 82 were mixed breed and one was an F1 Savannah; 54 were from a shelter; they ranged from 10 months to 12 years old; time since onychectomy ranged from 4 months to 11.5 years; and 25 surgical histories were unknown. The medical history of 70/83 cats was known for at least 3 months prior to examination. Periuria or perichezia were reported in 49% (34/70) of the cats, biting behavior in 27% (19/70), aggression in 14% (10/70) and barbering in 11% (8/70). All of the cats had varying sized fragments of the P3 diagnosed on radiographs. Ten cats had nail regrowth that was externally visible. Other externally visible pathology included: subcutaneous swelling, erythema, hemorrhage, exudate (Figure 1), misaligned pads, ulcerations, digit contracture and callusing.

Figure 1

Hemorrhage and exudate seen in a declawed cat prior to surgical removal of third phalanx fragments

Surgery was pursued in all cases to remove the P3 fragments. The skin and pads were dissected away from any attachments to the second phalanx (P2) and/or the P3 fragment. Remaining collateral ligaments were incised along with the P3 remnant attachment to the deep digital flexor tendon. Pathological findings intraoperatively included fragmented continued growth of cornified (Figure 2) and non-cornified tissue, bony projections on the surface of P2 and exudate. Excess skin was excised to reduce dead space. A purse string suture was placed, using 4-0 fast absorbing undyed polyglycolic acid braided suture, from the subcutaneous paw pad to the subcutaneous tissue and fascia surrounding P2 (Figure 3) to anchor the pad and decrease the chance of pad-to-cartilage misalignment postoperatively. The incisions were sutured closed. Aggressive pre- and postoperative pain management was necessary.

Figure 2

Fragmented cornified claw regrowth seen in a declawed cat intraoperatively during removal of third phalanx fragments

Figure 3

A purse string suture was used to attach the subcutaneous tissue dorsal to the second phalanx

Long-term (>6 months) postoperative follow-up data were available for 38/83 cats. As reported by owners and shelter staff, periuria improved in 63% (10/16), biting in 56% (5/9), aggression in 78% (7/9) and barbering in 80% (4/5).

Two methods of declawing cats are detailed in the veterinary literature, including partial amputation of P3 and disarticulation of the entire P3 bone. In an earlier study published in this journal, the author demonstrated that cats with P3 fragments left behind at the time of declaw fared worse than those that did not with regard to chronic pain and adverse behavior. In that study, 63% of the study population examined had P3 fragments present. Other than nail regrowth, there is currently no report in the literature of pathology resulting from the partial P3 amputation method after the immediate postoperative period.

The demonstrated physical and behavioral pathology in this report should encourage closer evaluation of declawed digits in cats, along with any medical or surgical treatment needed, especially in those with P3 fragments. The novel information in this report includes the observed pathology, effort to replace the paw pad to adequately cover the P2 cartilage and the positive follow-up results.

Funding for 78/83 surgeries was provided by the Paw Project 501(3)c non-profit organization.