Cobalamin, folate and inorganic phosphate abnormalities in ill cats

Abstract

Hypocobalaminaemia in cats has previously been identified, but the incidence reported has varied, and the frequency of folate deficiency is unknown. The aims of this study were to evaluate the incidence of low cobalamin and folate levels in a population of cats that were suffering predominantly from diseases of the alimentary tract (including the liver and pancreas) and to ascertain whether severity of disease (as assessed by bodyweight and body condition score (BCS)) related to degree of deficiency. The study population comprised 103 cats, of which 16.5% had low cobalamin levels and 38.8% had low folate levels. A serendipitous finding was inorganic phosphate levels below the reference range in 48% of the cases. Significant associations were found between subnormal cobalamin levels and median BCS (P=0.049); combined low folate and low cobalamin and bodyweight (P=0.002), BCS (P=0.024) and inorganic phosphate levels (P=0.003). The finding of low levels of folate and cobalamin in clinical cases suggests that supplementation may be indicated more frequently than is currently recognised.

Fig 1.

Comparison of percentage purebreed vs non-purebreed cats in hospital and study populations. Hospital population=UEHFSA feline population, study population=103 cats within study, Domestic=non-purebreed.

Fig 2.

Presenting problem. Abdom. Pain=abdominal pain; PD=polydipsia; PU=polyuria; DM=diabetes mellitus; n=number.

Fig 3.

Boxplots of bodyweight and body condition score against cobalamin and folate status. Bodyweight and body condition score are plotted for four groups; grey=neither cobalamin nor folate were low; red=low folate, normal cobalamin; green=low cobalamin, normal folate; blue=low cobalamin and low folate. Box represents 25–75% interquartile range, and horizontal bars represent mean (bodyweight) and median (BCS) values. *Represents outliers. Significant difference when compared to cats without low cobalamin or low folate. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article).

Fig 4.

Histogram of inorganic phosphate. Frequency of inorganic phosphate values are plotted for four groups of cats. normal cobalamin; normal folate. normal cobalamin; low folate (P=0.836; T=−0.21)*. low cobalamin; normal folate (P=0.205; T=−1.34)*. low cobalamin; low folate (P=0.003; T=4.43)*. *comparing mean values with normal cobalamin; normal folate group.