Energy consumption and hospital discharge in dogs and cats

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the correlation between caloric ingestion, hospital discharge and death rate of dogs and cats. Material and Method: Animals hospitalized at the Hospital Veterinário da Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias da Universidade Estadual Paulista (HV-FCAV/UNESP), (Veterinarian Hospital of the College of Agrarian and Veterinarian Sciences of Paulista State University) Campus of Jaboticabal, Sp, for any disease or in pre or post surgery period, had their maintenance energy requirement (MER): 132 x (body weighjO·75 kc a day for dogs; 70 x (body weigh) kcal a day for cats. Animals were fed commercial super-premium food and received enteral and parenteral nutrition support. A total of 279 animals were studied, 223 dogs and 56 cats. Results: Were discharged from hospital 76,7% of patients, the average percentage ingestion of (MER) of those animals was 71,12%, while those who died ingested only 33.97% of (MER) (p < 0,001). Animals of the Discharge group remained 7.18 days in hospital, while those in the group that died 5.45 days (p = 0,16). Among the animals that received from 0% lo 33% of MER, 38% were discharged and 62% died, out of those who received 34% to 66% of MER, 84% were discharged and 16% died and for those who received more than 67% of MER, 89% of the animals were discharged and 11% died, indicating lower mortality rate in the group with higher caloric ingestion (p < 0,001). In the groups that had higher caloric ingestion, Animals remained in hospital longer (p < 0,002), what can also be verified by the positive association between calorie ingestion and hospitalization lenght (R = 0,21; p < 0,05). For the animals discharged from the hospital (76.7% of the total), the average ingestion was 71.12% of the MER, and II% died, which indicates a lower mortality rate for higher calorie balance (p < 0.001). For animals with higher caloric balance, the hospitalization lenght was longer (p < 0.001), which can be also verified from the positive association between calorie ingestion and hospitalization lenght (R = 0,21; p < 0,05). Conclusions: Among the animals that we are able lo fed larger quantities of calories, there were larger rates of hospital discharge and longer hospitalization stay.