Align-ju SCIENCE SHORTS
Response of diabetic cats to twice-daily insulin and home monitoring
USER-ALT Susan Gottlieb and others , The Cat Clinic , Brisbane , Australia
Diabetes mellitus is the second most common endocrine condition in domestic cats , but with appropriate management it is possible for diabetic cats to achieve remission . However , the cost and time burden of caring for diabetic cats will often cause clients to opt for euthanasia . The authors report the results of a trial of a moderate-intensity , low-cost protocol involving home blood glucose measurements and long-acting insulin ( glargine ) adjustment by cat-owning clients . They found that nearly 50 % of the 174 cats with newly diagnosed diabetes that met the selection criteria achieved remission when treated according to the protocol described . Remission was significantly associated with an extended survival time .
Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery https :// doi . org / 10.1177 / 1098612X241232546
Effects of weight reduction on cardiac morphology in obese cats
USER-ALT Catheryn Partington and others , University of Liverpool , UK
Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease , systemic hypertension , cardiac remodelling and both systolic and diastolic dysfunction in humans . There is little evidence on the effects of excess weight on cardiac function and morphology in obese cats , or on the effects of reducing body weight . The authors describe the cardiac function and morphology findings in 20 cats entering a weight management programme and again in the 11 cats that achieved their target weight . Their findings show that an increase in left ventricular wall thickness and diastolic dysfunction were common echocardiographic features in this group of obese cats , and that these changes may be reversible with successful weight loss .
BMC Veterinary Research https :// doi . org / 10.1186 / s12917-024-04011-0
Client understanding of instructions issued at a referral centre
USER-ALT Thomas Flegel and others , Leipzig University , Germany
Educating and empowering clients can have a considerable impact on the success of veterinary treatment , but these tasks are often given a lower priority than the medical aspects of the treatment process . The authors investigated client understanding of discharge instructions for animals going home after treatment at a neurological referral centre , and the factors that influence this process . Questionnaires about the instructions for treatment and aftercare were completed by both the veterinary surgeon and the client at discharge and 2 weeks later . The findings show that clients could only partially recall the information provided at discharge when questioned later , and recall was worse in those clients aged over 50 years .
Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine https :// doi . org / 10.1111 / jvim . 17085
Volume 39 ( 4 ) • August 2024
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