Introduction

Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases involving the alimentary tract and hepatobiliary system are common in cats. Domestic cats present specific anatomical, physiological, nutritional, and behavioral characteristics related to the gastrointestinal tract, which may influence the prevalence of diseases of the digestive system. Fundamental efforts to diagnose GI disorders should always be directed toward localizing disease to a particular segment and determining a cause.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of digestive system diseases in domestic cats from Botucatu city, São Paulo (SP) state, Brazil.

Methods

We used the medical records of cats with digestive disorders presented at Veterinary Teaching Hospital (FMVZ-UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil) between 2013 to 2016.

Results

The total number of animals evaluated in this period was 1047 cats. Of these, 259 cats with clinical signs consistent gastrointestinal diseases were included in this study (24.7%). Diagnoses were gastrointestinal parasites (27.8%); hepatic lipidosis (22%); chronic gingivostomatitis (8.9%); acute gastroenteritis (7.7%); acute gastritis (6.2%); inflammatory bowel disease (3.9%); dietary indiscretion (3.1%); pancreatitis (2.70%); constipation (2.7%); chronic liver disease (1.2%); megacolon (0.8%); intestinal foreign bodies (0.8%); chronic gastritis (0.8%); colitis = 2 (0.8%); hepatic neoplasms of unknown etiology (0.8%); feline triad (0.4%); acute hepatitis (toxic) (0.4%); portosystemic shunt (0.4%); hepatic cysts (0.4%); alimentary lymphoma (0.4%); and intestinal adenocarcinoma (0.4%).

Conclusions

The most prevalent GI diseases in cats were gastrointestinal parasites and hepatic lipidosis. To the best of the author´s knowledge, this is the first survey study on feline digestive disorders in Botucatu city, SP, Brazil.