Association of time to start of enteral nutrition and outcome in cats with hepatic lipidosis

Abstract Background Enteral nutrition (EN) is essential for management of hepatic lipidosis (HL) in cats. Objectives To determine if time to start of EN and other clinicopathologic variables are associated with outcome in cats with HL. Animals Forty‐eight cats with HL. Methods Retrospective study. Information retrieved from medical records and client communications included clinicopathologic findings, time to start of EN, initial % of resting energy requirements provided, type of feeding tube, duration of hospitalization, and 3‐month survival. Variables were compared between surviving and nonsurviving cats and between cats fed ≤12 hours and >12 hours after hospital admission. Multivariable statistical testing was performed to further investigate variables of interest. Results Seventeen of 25 (68%) cats fed ≤12 hours and 13 of 23 (57%) of cats fed >12 hours after hospital admission survived (P = .55). Only increasing age (odds ratio [OR], 1.313; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.032‐1.671; P = .03) and the presence of ascites (OR, 6.415; 95% CI, 1.354‐30.395; P = .02) were associated with death in multivariable analysis. Hospitalization duration (median, interquartile range [IQR]) was shorter in cats fed >12 hours (2.8 days; IQR, 2.1‐3.8 days) as compared with cats fed ≤12 hours (4.8 days; IQR, 3.6‐6.2 days) after hospital admission (P < .001). Conclusions and Clinical Importance An initial stabilization period before EN introduction does not decrease survival or increase duration of hospitalization in cats with HL.