Feline pansteatitis revisited: hazards of unbalanced home-made diets

Subcutaneous fat sclerosis in a domestic short-hair cat

The authors describe a case of presumptive feline subcutaneous fat sclerosis, a condition reported only once previously (in 1987) and diagnosed with postmortem examination. We describe radiographic, computed tomography scan and histopathological findings, and partial response to oral methylprednisolone and Vitamin E.

Whole Blood Fatty Acid Profiles of Cold-Stunned Juvenile Green, Kemp’s Ridley, and Loggerhead Sea Turtles

When subjected to cold environmental temperatures, cheloniid sea turtles can experience debilitating lethargy, anorexia, and potential mortality in a phenomenon known as cold-stunning. Every year, hundreds to thousands of cold-stunned sea turtles are transported to rehabilitation centers for medical and nutritional care. The objective of this study was to investigate one aspect of nutritional status in cold-stunned sea turtles: fatty acid profiles. Blood was collected from eleven green (Chelonia mydas), twelve Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), and three loggerhead (Caretta caretta) juvenile sea turtles found cold-stunned along the coast of North Carolina, USA. Whole blood (~160 µL) was dried onto specialized paper spot cards, frozen, and subsequently analyzed via gas chromatography to quantify fatty acid percentages. Significant differences among species were identified for 19 out of 36 individual fatty acids analyzed and six out of seven fatty acid groups evaluated (P < 0.5). The whole blood fatty acid profiles of cold-stunned green and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles were similar to prior published profiles of healthy conspecifics. Marginal numerical differences noted upon visual comparison included that cold-stunned sea turtles had lower proportions of total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and monoenes and higher proportions of total saturated fatty acids relative to healthy conspecifics. These differences may reflect acute impacts of cold-stunning on circulating plasma fatty acids or may be the result of natural seasonal variations. These data provide practical information to aid in the diet design of sea turtles in rehabilitation settings.

Weight measurements result in improved accuracy and precision in preparation of cooked homemade diets for dogs

OBJECTIVE

Accurate measurement of ingredients for cooked homemade diets helps ensure diets are complete and balanced. Studies have demonstrated measuring dry dog food with measuring cups results in significant inaccuracy. Therefore, measuring ingredients by volume when preparing these diets may be inaccurate. The purpose was to determine the accuracy of preparing cooked homemade diets by measuring ingredients by volume (measuring cups and spoons) or weight (digital gram scale with a syringe for measuring oil only).

SAMPLES

42 diet samples prepared by 21 participants.

PROCEDURES

21 participants were instructed on homemade diet preparation based on weight or volume measurement methods. Diet samples underwent proximate analysis and mineral analysis. Data, expressed on a dry matter basis (DMB) and an energy density basis (EDB), from both groups were compared to the anticipated nutrient profile to determine which method resulted in more accuracy. Data from individual samples within each group were compared to each other to determine the precision of both methods.

RESULTS

Weight measurements were more precise for crude protein, crude fat, nitrogen-free extract, and potassium (DMB and EDB) and more accurate for ash (DMB and EDB) and iron (EDB). Comparatively, volume measurements were more precise for ash (DMB) and more accurate for iron (DMB).

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Findings suggest weight measurements should be utilized to prepare cooked homemade diets for dogs to promote precision and accuracy.

Commercial vs Homemade Cat Diets: What you need to know

PRACTICAL RELEVANCE

A feeding plan recommendation for cats, both healthy and with disease, should include diet choice, amounts to feed and the feeding method. Diet choice can be complex owing to the abundance of products, sometimes with conflicting marketing messages, and the prevalence of information with no scientific basis. It is important to be aware of the specific challenges of both commercial and homemade diets. Moreover, a nutritional assessment is a prerequisite when recommending a diet to ensure that it is safe, appropriate for the cat's life stage and nutritious for long-term feeding.

COMMERCIAL VS HOMEMADE DIETS

There are a variety of commercial diets available, allowing considerable customisation. These products are regulated and can be tested to determine nutritional adequacy and safety, although as the industry is partly self-regulated, choice of manufacturer is important. Properly formulated homemade diets can be customised to the patient and are a good option when no commercial product that meets the patient's needs exists. Homemade diets can be an owner preference. A serious limitation is the lack of testing, potentially affecting safety and also resulting in a reliance on database information to determine nutritional adequacy. Generic homemade diet recipes (eg, sourced from the internet) have additional risks of deficiencies and imbalances, and are not recommended. Homemade diets should be devised by a veterinary nutrition specialist with consideration of both patient and owner factors.

CLINICAL CHALLENGES

Dietary misinformation, which is all too readily available on the internet, may result in owners making questionable feeding choices for their pets. A homemade diet may be requested by owners based on the perception that there are poor ingredients in commercial foods. The veterinary healthcare team needs to have good evidence-based information to present to owners about diet choice.

EVIDENCE BASE

Several decades of research on feline nutrition forms the basis for nutritional requirements and dietary recommendations. There are varying degrees of evidence regarding requirements for each nutrient, and a lack of data on the effects of different types of processing on nutrient needs.

Pros and Cons of Commercial Pet Foods (Including Grain/Grain Free) for Dogs and Cats

Commercial pet food in the United States includes a diverse range of products. There is a tremendous amount of variation among companies regarding the financial resources invested into producing their products, research, and marketing. Commercial pet food is a regulated industry at both the state and federal levels, and many of the same standards applied to the human food industry apply to pet food. Many foods that both pets and people consume are processed; however, the type and extent of processing do not correlate with the nutritional value. Commercial pet food does not meet the needs of every pet.

Steatitis in Cold-Stunned Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles (Lepidochelys kempii)

The pathogenesis of steatitis that infrequently occurs in cold-stunned Kemp's ridley sea turtles (KRT; Lepidochelys kempii) has been undetermined. The objectives of this study were to investigate the clinical (n = 23) and histologic findings (n = 11) in cold-stunned KRT, and to compare plasma concentrations of α-tocopherol (vitamin E), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and the TBARS to vitamin E (T/E) ratio (an assessment of oxidative stress) between cold-stunned KRT with clinically and/or histologically confirmed steatitis (n = 10) and free-ranging KRT (n = 9). None of the cold-stunned turtles had clinically detectable steatitis at admission, and the median number of days to diagnosis of steatitis was 71 (range 33-469). Histologic findings of affected adipose tissue included heterophilic (n = 9) and/or histiocytic (n = 5) steatitis, fat necrosis (n = 7), myonecrosis (n = 2), and intralesional bacteria (n = 6). Cold-stunned KRT had significantly lower plasma vitamin E concentrations (median = 3.5 nmol/g), lower plasma TBARS concentrations (median = 1.6 nmol/g), and higher T/E ratios (median = 0.37), than controls (208.8 nmol/g; 2.1 nmol/g; 0.01, respectively). These results suggest a multifactorial etiology for the development of steatitis in KRT during rehabilitation, including tissue injury, septicemia, and various factors resulting in imbalances of anti-/oxidative status. By highlighting the need to provide more effective vitamin E supplementation, and the need to re-assess specific components of the diet, this study may lead to reduced incidence and improved medical management of steatitis in cold-stunned sea turtles.

A cross-sectional study of owner-reported health in Canadian and American cats fed meat- and plant-based diets

Background

Cats, being obligate carnivores, have unique dietary requirements for nutrients most commonly found in dietary ingredients of animal origin. As such, feeding a diet devoid of animal-derived ingredients has been postulated as a possible cause of nutrient imbalances and adverse health outcomes. A small proportion of cat owners feed strictly plant-based diets to the cats in their care, yet the health and wellness of cats fed these diets has not been well documented.

Results

A total of 1325 questionnaires were complete enough for inclusion. The only exclusion criterion was failure to answer all questions. Most cats, 65% (667/1026), represented in the survey were fed a meat-based diet and 18.2% (187/1026) were fed a plant-based diet, with the rest fed either a combination of plant-based with meat-based (69/1026, 6.7%) or indeterminable (103/1026, 10%). Cat age ranged from 4 months to 23 years, with a median of 7 years, and was not associated with diet type. No differences in reported lifespan were detected between diet types. Fewer cats fed plant-based diets reported to have gastrointestinal and hepatic disorders. Cats fed plant-based diets were reported to have more ideal body condition scores than cats fed a meat-based diet. More owners of cats fed plant-based diets reported their cat to be in very good health.

Conclusions

Cat owner perception of the health and wellness of cats does not appear to be adversely affected by being fed a plant-based diet. Contrary to expectations, owners perceived no body system or disorder to be at particular risk when feeding a plant-based diet to cats. This study collected information from cat owners and is subject to bias, as well as methodological limitations. Further research is warranted to determine if these results are replicable in a prospective investigation.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12917-021-02754-8.

An observational study of pet feeding practices and how these have changed between 2008 and 2018

BACKGROUND

Pet owners have many feeding options, some may be considered unconventional by veterinary practitioners. Provision of appropriate nutrition is a basic requirement, with adverse health outcomes possible when a pet diet is inadequate.

OBJECTIVE

To capture dog and cat feeding practices, with a special focus on countries with large English-speaking populations, and to compare with data published over the previous 10 years.

METHODS

An electronic questionnaire was provided for dog and cat owners online. Responses were analysed using descriptive statistics, and comparisons made with data from nine peer-reviewed articles published over the previous 10 years.

RESULTS

Responses from 3673 English-speaking dog and cat owners in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA were included. In previous publications, conventional (commercial, heat-processed) products were the predominant method of feeding. In recent publications, feeding unconventional (raw, homemade, vegetarian) diets appeared more prevalent. In the present study, most (79 per cent dogs, 90 per cent cats) pets were offered conventional food. However a few (13 per cent dogs, 32 per cent cats) pets were fed conventional foods exclusively. Many pets were offered homemade (64 per cent dogs, 46 per cent cats) and/or raw (66 per cent dogs, 53 per cent cats) foods. Different feeding practices were associated with geographical location.

CONCLUSION

As an increased risk of nutrient insufficiency and associated conditions have been attributed to unconventional feeding practices, veterinarians must be aware of pet feeding trends and educate clients about the nutritional needs of companion animals.

Nodular panniculitis in a cat with high alpha tocopherol concentration in serum

A 5-year-old male neutered domestic shorthair cat suffered from recurrent solitary nodules in different subcutaneous body regions. Nodules were surgically removed and each time histopathological diagnosis was fat necrosis and fibrosing to pyogranulomatous panniculitis. After the second surgery the alpha (α)-tocopherol concentration in serum of the cat was examined and the result (21 mg/L) exceeded the upper limit of the reference interval (3-11 mg/L). Vitamin E amount in diet fed solely in the past was checked as studies have shown that vitamin E amounts in food significantly influence vitamin E concentrations in serum. For comparative purposes, α-tocopherol concentrations were determined in sera of healthy control cats. Additionally, vitamin E amount in wet food from different manufacturers was analysed using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that the diet did not have higher vitamin E amounts compared to other diets. All control cats had similar high serum α-tocopherol concentrations. We conclude that panniculitis can occur despite high serum α-tocopherol concentrations in cats. Further studies are needed to redefine reference values of α-tocopherol in serum of cats.

Pansteatitis in polluted Olifants River impoundments: nutritional perspectives on fish in a eutrophic lake, Lake Loskop, South Africa

This study compares the aetiology of pansteatitis in Lake Loskop, relative to two other impoundments along the Olifants River. Macroscopic and microscopic pathology, age determination and analysis of stomach content, fatty acids and stable isotopes explain the high prevalence of pansteatitis in Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters) and several other species in Lake Loskop. All the dietary indicator comparisons between pansteatitis-affected and healthy fish fail to support a systemic cause. Pansteatitis in Lake Loskop was linked to size and weight of O. mossambicus, but not to ontogenic age. Fish in Lake Loskop showed abnormally high omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratios normally only found in marine fish with no significant difference in degree of assimilation of these fatty acids between pansteatitis-affected and healthy fish. This explains the vulnerability to, but not the occurrence of, pansteatitis. As a cause for the pansteatitis, these results point towards sporadic vitamin E-depleting trigger events, known sporadic fish die-off occurrences that provide surviving fish with a rich source of rancid fats on which to scavenge. The mechanism ties pansteatitis to eutrophication and trophic cascade effects, the intrinsic drivers of the disease and suggests an adaptive management strategy that might be applied by relevant conservation authorities.

Analysis of recipes of home-prepared diets for dogs and cats published in Portuguese

The present study evaluated recipes of home-prepared diets for dogs and cats published in Portuguese. A total of 106 diets were evaluated: eighty for dogs, twenty-four for cats and two intended for both species. A commercial software package was used to analyse the diets, and an ingredient chemical composition database was built based on the Brazilian Tables of Food Composition and United States Department of Agriculture Nutrient Database. The estimated chemical composition of each recipe was compared with the Nutritional Guidelines for Complete and Complementary Pet Food for Cats and Dogs (Fédération Européenne de L'industrie des Aliments Pour Animaux Familiers; FEDIAF, 2014) recommendations for maintenance (as units/MJ). Most recipes (48 %) had no precise determination of ingredients and quantities. All diets had at least one nutrient below the recommendations, and all investigated nutrients were deficient in at least one diet. The most frequent nutrients below recommendation were: Fe (68·3 % of the recipes for dogs; 100 % of the recipes for cats); vitamin E (82·9 % of the dog recipes; 84·6 % of the cat recipes); Zn (75·6 % for dogs; 88·4 % for cats); Ca (73·2 % for dogs; 73 % for cats); Cu (85·4 % for dogs; 69·2 % for cats); choline (85·4 % for dogs; 69·2 % for cats); riboflavin (65·8 % for dogs; 11·5 % for cats); thiamine (39 % for dogs; 80·7 % for cats); and vitamin B₁₂ (61 % for dogs; 34·6 % for cats). These recipes may potentially expose animals to nutritional deficiencies, and it is important to inform the owners of the risks of providing home-prepared diets. Better training of professionals that intend to prescribe home-prepared diets is advisable.

Predictive Blood Chemistry Parameters for Pansteatitis-Affected Mozambique Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus)

One of the largest river systems in South Africa, the Olifants River, has experienced significant changes in water quality due to anthropogenic activities. Since 2005, there have been various “outbreaks” of the inflammatory disease pansteatitis in several vertebrate species. Large-scale pansteatitis-related mortality events have decimated the crocodile population at Lake Loskop and decreased the population at Kruger National Park. Most pansteatitis-related diagnoses within the region are conducted post-mortem by either gross pathology or histology. The application of a non-lethal approach to assess the prevalence and pervasiveness of pansteatitis in the Olifants River region would be of great importance for the development of a management plan for this disease. In this study, several plasma-based biomarkers accurately classified pansteatitis in Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) collected from Lake Loskop using a commercially available benchtop blood chemistry analyzer combined with data interpretation via artificial neural network analysis. According to the model, four blood chemistry parameters (calcium, sodium, total protein and albumin), in combination with total length, diagnose pansteatitis to a predictive accuracy of 92 percent. In addition, several morphometric traits (total length, age, weight) were also associated with pansteatitis. On-going research will focus on further evaluating the use of blood chemistry to classify pansteatitis across different species, trophic levels, and within different sites along the Olifants River.

The expression of selected genes linked to metabolic homeostasis in obese pansteatitis-suffering Mozambique tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters)

The Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters) population inhabiting Lake Loskop, South Africa, is characterized by a high incidence of obesity and pansteatitis. We investigated potential links between the impaired health of Lake Loskop O. mossambicus and the endocrine system by assessing the expression of selected genes associated with the thyroid and adrenal endocrine axes as well as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (pparg). Moreover, contaminant-induced thyroid and/or metabolic modulation in Lake Loskop water was evaluated using juvenile O. mossambicus in laboratory exposures. The expression of thyroid hormone receptor alpha (thra) and type 2 deiodinase (dio2) was higher in Lake Loskop O. mossambicus than fish from another population, suggesting a degree of thyroid disruption. The altered gene expression may be a consequence, rather than cause of obesity. Expression of dio2 and pparg was higher in juvenile O. mossambicus exposed to unfiltered compared to filtered lake water, and our data suggest fasting as causative factor. Micro-organism abundance can therefore be a confounding factor in studies applying molecular markers to test for thyroid modulation by environmental waters. Pansteatitis was not a significant source of variance in the expression of any of the genes investigated, suggesting that the disease is not associated with disrupted endocrine signalling.

Coelomic Granulomatous Fat Necrosis (Lipogranulomatosis) in an Umbrella Cockatoo (Cacatua alba)

A 28-year-old, female umbrella cockatoo (Cacatua alba) was evaluated because of lethargy, anorexia, regurgitation, and coelomic swelling of 6 month's duration, which corresponded to cessation of egg laying. Radiographs and ultrasound examination demonstrated extensive deposits of coelomic fat and an enlarged oviduct. Exploratory celiotomy demonstrated copious amounts of firm, nodular fat completely surrounding the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in extensive chronic adhesions between intestinal loops. Free yolk was present in the cranial left coelom, yolk coelomitis was diagnosed, and a salpingohysterectomy was performed. Two days after surgery, the bird stopped passing feces and began regurgitating after eating, and a colonic obstruction was demonstrated via contrast radiography. Euthanasia was elected, and necropsy revealed an obstruction of the distal colon caused by extraluminal compression by adhesions of firm, nodular fat. Histologic examination demonstrated extensive fat necrosis with granulomatous inflammation, characterized by cords of necrotic fat surrounded by multinucleated giant cells and epithelioid macrophages with scattered lymphocytes and plasma cells and rare heterophils. The clinical signs, gross lesions, and histologic lesions are characteristic of massive fat necrosis (lipogranulomatosis) in ruminants and mesenteric panniculitis in humans and companion mammals. This is the first report, to our knowledge, of this disease in psittacine birds.

Handling alternative dietary requests from pet owners

The goal of this article was to provide veterinary practitioners with an overview of the types of alternative dietary options available to pet owners and a practical method by which to evaluate the nutritional adequacy of these various options. Our approach to categorizing the alternative dietary options is based on the nutritional adequacy of these dietary options, because patients will be at risk for nutrition-related diseases if fed a nutritionally incomplete or improperly balanced diet long term.

Evaluation of the owner's perception in the use of homemade diets for the nutritional management of dogs

Many dog owners see homemade diets as a way of increasing the bond with their pets, even though they may not have the convenience of commercial diets. Modifications of ingredients, quality and proportion might change the nutritional composition of the diet, generating nutritional imbalances. The present study evaluated how dog owners use and adhere to homemade diets prescribed by veterinary nutritionists over an extended period of time. Forty-six owners of dogs fed a homemade diet for at least 6 months were selected for the present study. Owners were invited to answer questions by first reading all possible answers and then selecting the one that best indicated their opinion. The results were evaluated through descriptive statistics. Thirty-five owners (76·1 %) found that the diets are easy to prepare. Fourteen owners (30·4 %) admitted to modifying the diets, 40 % did not adequately control the amount of provided ingredients, 73·9 % did not use the recommended amounts of soyabean oil and salt, and 34·8 % did not correctly use the vitamin, mineral or amino acid supplements. Twenty-six owners (56·5 %) reported that their dogs refused to eat at least one food item. All of these alterations make the nutritional composition of the diets unpredictable and likely nutritionally imbalanced. Although homemade diets could be a useful tool for the nutritional management of dogs with certain diseases, not all owners are able to appropriately use this type of diet and adhere to it for an extended period of time and this limitation needs to be considered when recommending the use of homemade diets.

Comparison of the lipid properties of healthy and pansteatitis-affected African sharptooth catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell), and the role of diet in pansteatitis outbreaks in the Olifants River in the Kruger National Park, South Africa

Pansteatitis has been identified in wild populations of sharptooth catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell), and Nile crocodiles, Crocodylus niloticus Laurenti, inhabiting the same waters in the Olifants River Gorge in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Mesenteric and pectoral fat tissue was investigated microscopically and by fatty acid analysis in healthy and pansteatitis-affected catfish from both captive and wild populations. Variation in fatty acid composition between pectoral and mesenteric fat was noted. Composition of mesenteric fat differed between fish from various localities as a result of differences in diet. Pansteatitis in the captive population, resulting from ingestion of high amounts of dietary oxidized fat, reflected higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids within the mesenteric fat. Mesenteric fat of pansteatitis-affected wild catfish was characterized by an increase in moisture content, a decrease in fat content and a decrease in stearic and linoleic acids. The n-3 to n-6 fatty acid ratio of mesenteric fat was higher in pansteatitis-affected wild catfish than in healthy catfish from the same locality, reflecting higher polyunsaturated fat intake by pansteatitis-affected fish. The possible role of alien, invasive, phytoplankton-feeding silver carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Valenciennes), in the aetiology of pansteatitis in both catfish and crocodiles in the Olifants Gorge is discussed.

Potential adverse effects of omega-3 Fatty acids in dogs and cats

Fish oil omega-3 fatty acids, mainly eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, are used in the management of several diseases in companion animal medicine, many of which are inflammatory in nature. This review describes metabolic differences among omega-3 fatty acids and outlines potential adverse effects that may occur with their supplementation in dogs and cats with a special focus on omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil. Important potential adverse effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation include altered platelet function, gastrointestinal adverse effects, detrimental effects on wound healing, lipid peroxidation, potential for nutrient excess and toxin exposure, weight gain, altered immune function, effects on glycemic control and insulin sensitivity, and nutrient-drug interactions.

Evaluation of recipes for home-prepared diets for dogs and cats with chronic kidney disease

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate recipes of diets recommended for animals with chronic kidney disease (CKD), compare nutritional profiles for those recipes to requirements for adult dogs and cats, and assess their appropriateness for the management of CKD.

DESIGN

Evaluation study.

SAMPLE

Recipes of 67 home-prepared diets promoted for use in dogs (n = 39 recipes) and cats (28) with CKD.

PROCEDURES

Recipes were analyzed with computer software to determine calories, macronutrient calorie distribution, and micronutrient concentrations and were assessed for appropriateness for the management of CKD.

RESULTS

Assumptions were required for the analysis of every recipe, and no recipe met all National Research Council nutrient recommended allowances (RA) for adult animals. Compared with RAs, concentrations of crude protein or at least 1 amino acid were low in 30 of 39 (76.9%) canine recipes and 12 of 28 (42.9%) feline recipes. Choline was most commonly below the RA in both canine (37/39 [94.9%]) and feline (23/28 [82.1%]) recipes; selenium (34/39 [87.2%] canine and 9/28 [32.1 %] feline recipes), zinc (24/39 [61.5%] canine and 19/28 [67.9%] feline recipes), and calcium (22/39 [56.4%] canine and 7/28 [25.0%] feline recipes) concentrations were also frequently below recommendations. The median phosphorus concentration in canine and feline recipes was 0.58 and 0.69 g/1,000 kcal, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Many problems with nutritional adequacy were detected, and use of the recipes could result in highly variable and often inappropriate diets. Many recipes would not meet nutritional and clinical needs of individual patients and should be used cautiously for long-term feeding.

Unexpected depletion of plasma arachidonate and total protein in cats fed a low arachidonic acid diet due to peroxidation

An opportunity to investigate a low-arachidonic acid (AA) feline diet possibly related to elevated peroxide value (PV) during storage on plasma phospholipid (PL) and reproductive tissue fatty acid (FA) profiles presented itself in the present study. Cats (nine animals per group) had been fed one of three dry extruded, complete and balanced diets for 300 d before spaying. The diets contained adequate AA (0.3 g/kg), similar concentration of antioxidants and were stored at ambient temperature, but differed in FA composition. The diets were designated as follows: diet A (high linoleic acid), diet B (high γ-linolenic acid) and diet C (adequate linoleic acid). Diet samples that were obtained the week before spaying revealed an elevated PV of diet A v. diets B and C (135 v. 5.80 and 2.12 meq/kg fat, respectively). Records revealed decreased food consumption of diet A cats beginning at 240 d but without weight loss; thus an opportunity presented to investigate diet PV effects. Total plasma protein and PL-AA concentrations in group A were significantly decreased at 140 and 300 d. Uterine and ovarian tissues collected at surgery revealed modest decrements of AA. Diet A was below minimum standards at 0.015 % (minimum 0.02 %), probably due to oxidation. The time at which diet A became unacceptable may have occurred between 60 and 140 d because plasma PL-AA was within our normal colony range (approximately 4-7 % relative) after 56 d of feeding. High-linoleic acid-containing diets may be more likely to be oxidised requiring additional antioxidants. The findings suggest that reduced plasma protein in combination with plasma AA concentrations may serve as biomarkers of diet peroxidation in cats before feed refusal, weight loss or tissue depletion.

Isolated abdominal fat tissue inflammation and necrosis in a cat

This report describes a rare clinical case of a 4.5-month-old, female domestic shorthair, cat with isolated abdominal fat tissue inflammation and necrosis, resembling human omental panniculitis. Its possible relationship with pancreatitis or bile induced chemical peritonitis is also discussed. The overall clinical course was considered benign. Initial clinical signs were vomiting and anorexia, presumably due to inflammation, followed by mass development. It was speculated that, eventually, the kitten was vomiting because of mechanical pressure from the mass, and that this pressure subsided as the kitten grew. The mass was surgically resected and no relapse was evident during the next 4 years.

Pan-steatitis in farmed northern bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus (L.), in the eastern Adriatic

Clinical, gross and histopathological investigations were carried out into large-scale mortalities on eastern Mediterranean bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus (L.), farms. Fish showed only nervous signs and darkened colour. At post-mortem the liver was bronze coloured and the pyloric area waxy in consistency. There was no evidence of any other gross pathology. Histopathology showed severe hepatic necrosis and lipidosis. Peri-pancreatic lipoid tissue was heavily infiltrated with an inflammatory round cell infiltrate. Fish on all three farms had been fed on a North African pilchard diet rather than traditional local or Baltic species. Once the diet was modified, losses ceased. A diagnosis of pan-steatitis as seen in other farmed fish species, as well as in terrestrial animals, on particular fish-based diets was made, although the actual factor within the diet which induced the inflammatory effect is not known.

Pansteatitis and severe hypocalcaemia in a cat

A 13-year-old Siamese cat was presented for investigation of lethargy and progressive abdominal enlargement. Serum chemistry revealed severe reduction of total and ionised serum calcium. The omentum appeared hyperechoic with scattered hypoechoic foci on abdominal ultrasound examination. Elevated serum parathormone and low fractional excretion of calcium excluded a parathyroid disorder and renal loss of the electrolyte. During laparotomy the omentum appeared opaque, white and firm. Post-mortem examination revealed that the thoracic and subcutaneous fat was also affected. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of pansteatitis with diffuse calcium soaps formation. While, severe hypocalcaemia is occasionally seen in cats, the association with pansteatitis has not been reported previously. In man, a cause-and-effect relationship between calcium soaps and hypocalcaemia is recognised, though the association is rare.

Feline cutaneous and visceral necrotizing panniculitis and steatitis associated with a pancreatic tumour

The association of pancreatic disorders with fat necrosis in domestic animals is rare. This report concerns a case of cutaneous/subcutaneous necrotizing panniculitis and steatitis associated with a pancreatic adenocarcinoma in an 11-year-old male Siamese cat. Clinical investigation revealed variably sized nodules on the trunk, limbs and abdomen. Some of them were ulcerated; others showed a shiny yellow necrotic background featuring irregular sinus tracts. The cat was euthanized at the owner's request before a diagnosis could be made. At necropsy, abundant oily material resembling mustard replaced the subcutaneous tissue and small yellow nodules were disseminated in the omentum, mesentery and serosa of the abdomen. A multilobulated mass arising from the anterior pancreatic head was found along with liver and lymph node metastasis. Histopathology showed wide fistulous tracts draining necrotic fat from the subcutis toward the surface and multifocal areas of necrotic adipocytes replacing the panniculus. Duct-like structures and tubules lined by neoplastic epithelial cells were observed in the primary pancreatic tumour and in the metastatic sites. The aetiology of the fat necrosis was possibly the result of systemic release of lipolytic pancreatic enzymes.