Survey of veterinarians in the USA to evaluate trends in the treatment approach for non-obstructive feline idiopathic cystitis.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to gather information on treatment approaches and trends for the treatment of non-obstructive feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC).

Methods: An internet-based survey of veterinarians was conducted focusing on outpatient treatment approaches for cats that are stable, not obstructed and that exhibit lower urinary signs suspected to be due to FIC, where other causes (eg, urolithiasis, urinary tract infection, other) have been ruled out.

Results: A total of 606 veterinarians submitted complete surveys for inclusion. Respondents reported that when obtaining patient histories, in ⩾75% of client interactions they gathered information about feline stressors (542/606, 89%), resource set-up (eg, number of litter boxes; 466/606, 77%) and diet (552/606, 91%). Only 31% (187/606) of respondents reported that they gathered information about daily human/cat interaction in ⩾75% of client interactions, with 69% (419/606) of veterinarians inquiring about this information 50% of the time or less. Top treatments selected for acute presentations of FIC were analgesics (537/606, 89%), modified litter box management (435/606, 72%) and synthetic feline pheromones (422/606, 70%). Top treatments selected for chronic FIC management were prescription diets (519/606, 86%), modified litter box management (508/606, 84%) and environmental enhancements (493/606, 81%). Challenges with owner compliance and expectations were selected as barriers to achieving a positive treatment outcome by 81% (486/599) and 62% (372/599) of respondents, respectively. Rehoming or euthanasia were recommended by 37% (224/606) and 10% (59/606) of veterinarians, respectively, due to difficulties managing FIC.

Conclusions and relevance: The treatment approach for non-obstructive FIC appears to be multimodal and recommendations vary between acute and chronic presentations. An area of opportunity is client communication and education, which may improve owner compliance and help set appropriate expectations. The importance of human/cat interaction as a management strategy appears under-emphasized.