MF2 Pt3-8 Nutritional Support for the Anorexic cat Flashcards
Why is nutritional support important in veterinary medicine?
Nutrition is crucial for managing many disease processes, and critical care nutrition is essential for anorexic or inappetent patients.
What is often overlooked while treating anorexic or inappetent patients?
Inadequate protein and calorie intake is often overlooked, even though malnutrition can have devastating effects.
What should be routinely recorded in high-standard veterinary practices?
Food intake and the calculation of calories needed and consumed should be routinely recorded.
What happens to the body during starvation in normal individuals?
The body reduces its basal metabolic rate, uses glycogen for glucose, and mobilizes fat for energy through lipolysis.
How does illness alter the normal metabolic response to food deprivation?
Illness increases the release of catabolic hormones (glucagon, cortisol), which raises energy needs and disrupts the adaptive response, leading to Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM).
What are the adverse effects of Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM)?
Adverse effects include lymphopenia, reduced T-lymphocytes, impaired immune responses, hypoproteinaemia, anemia, delayed healing, muscle weakness, and increased sepsis risk.
How can malnutrition impact morbidity and mortality in anorexic patients?
Even moderate malnutrition significantly increases morbidity and mortality rates, which can be reversed with appropriate nutritional support.
How should patients at risk of developing PEM be managed?
Patients at risk should be identified early and managed with appropriate nutritional support to avoid adverse effects of malnutrition.
What are some criteria for identifying patients who may need nutritional support?
Criteria include ≥10% weight loss in 7-14 days, anorexia or inappetence ≥3 days in cats, presence of cachexia, and inadequate body fat or muscle mass.
Why is it crucial to provide early nutritional support to cats with reduced appetite?
Early and aggressive nutritional support aids in recovery and prevents the onset of PEM, especially in cats with anorexia lasting 3 days or more.
How should the dietary intake of anorexic cats be monitored?
Cats should be closely monitored, and if caloric requirements aren’t being met, nutritional support should be immediately provided.
Why is identifying the cause of anorexia important in patient management?
Identifying the underlying cause, such as oral disease, pain, or nausea, is crucial for appropriate management.
What supportive therapies may help overcome anorexia in cats?
Adequate supportive care like analgesia, anti-emetic therapy, and attention to patient wellbeing may overcome anorexia.
How can the environment impact a cat’s food intake?
Ensuring the environment is comfortable, stress-free, and offering familiar or high-protein/fat food can improve intake.
What is food aversion in cats?
Food aversion occurs when a cat associates food with pain, vomiting, or nausea, causing them to avoid that food even after recovery.
How can food aversion be avoided in anorexic cats?
Tube feeding can be used to provide nutrition while avoiding food aversion, especially when the cat refuses food due to pain or nausea.
What are the two general principles for providing nutritional support?
Use the gastrointestinal tract if functional and choose the simplest suitable method of providing food.
Why is total parenteral nutrition (TPN) less commonly used?
TPN is expensive and technically more difficult to administer compared to enteral nutrition.
What are common forms of enteral nutritional support in cats?
Forms include appetite stimulation, nasogastric/nasoesophageal tube feeding, pharyngostomy, oesophagostomy, gastrostomy, and jejunostomy.
What environmental factors can help stimulate a cat’s appetite?
Reduce stress by controlling noise, temperature, providing a hiding spot, and using pheromone sprays like Felifriend.
How can a cat’s diet be manipulated to encourage eating?
Offer familiar home food, use wide shallow bowls, serve small frequent meals, warm the food, and focus on high-protein, high-fat meals with strong odors.
What drugs are commonly used for appetite stimulation in cats?
Drugs include diazepam (IV), oxazepam (PO), cyproheptadine (PO), and mirtazapine (PO).
What are the risks of using diazepam as an appetite stimulant in cats?
Diazepam can cause sedation, ataxia, and in some cases, fatal hepatic necrosis when given orally.
Why might mirtazapine be preferred over cyproheptadine for appetite stimulation?
Mirtazapine is generally more potent as an appetite stimulant but can cause side effects like mydriasis, ataxia, and vocalization.
