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Feline hypersomatotropism (HST) is typically associated with diabetes mellitus (DM), whereas HST without concurrent DM has only been reported in a few cases. Weight gain may be observed in cats with HST. The aims of this study were to evaluate circulating insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in non-diabetic cats with overweight/obesity, to screen this population for the presence of HST, and to assess whether there is a correlation between body weight/body condition score (BCS) and serum IGF-1 concentration in overweight/obese cats. In this prospective study, 80 overweight/obese cats from referral centers in Buenos Aires (Argentina) were evaluated. Serum IGF-1 was measured as part of the routine tests for overweight/obesity. Non-diabetic cats were included in the study if they had a BCS>6/9. Twenty-nine cats were classified as overweight (BCS 7/9), whereas 51 were classified as obese (BCS 8-9/9). Median serum IGF-1 concentrations of cats with BCS 7/9, 8/9, and 9/9 were 570 ng/ml (range 123-1456 ng/ml), 634 ng/ml (range 151-1500 ng/ml), and 598 ng/ml (range 284-2450 ng/ml), respectively. There was a positive linear correlation between serum IGF-1 concentrations and body weight (r= 0.24, 95% CI 0.01-0.44 P=0.03), and between IGF-1 and BCS (r= 0.27, 95% CI 0.08-0.44 P=0.004). In total, 8.75% (95% confidence interval 3.6-17.2%) of the cats with overweight/obesity had IGF-1 concentrations >1000 ng/ml. Pituitary enlargement was detected on computed tomography in 4/7 cases. These seven cats showed varying degrees of phenotypic changes consistent with acromegaly. A proportion of 8.75 % of overweight/obese non-diabetic cats from referral centers in Buenos Aires had serum IGF-1 concentration in a range consistent with HST in diabetic cats. Likewise, 5% of overweight/obese cats were likely to be diagnosed with HST, supported by evidence of pituitary enlargement. Serum IGF-1 concentrations were positively correlated with body weight and BCS in this population of cats. This study highlights the relevance of screening different populations of non-diabetic cats to increase the detection of HST/acromegaly., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There are no conflicts of interest for any of the authors., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Lipid disorders are relatively common in dogs. Hyperlipidemia can be primary or secondary to other diseases. In humans, fenofibrate is used to control hypertriglyceridemia. In dogs, there are no studies evaluating fenofibrate in hypertriglyceridemia. The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of fenofibrate to control severe hypertriglyceridemia in dogs. A total of 124 dogs (n = 124) with severe hypertriglyceridemia (>300 mg/dL, 3.39 mmol/L) were randomly distributed in the fenofibrate group (n = 64) and the diet group (n = 60). Dogs of the fenofibrate group were treated with fenofibrate (10 mg/Kg) once daily. Dogs of the diet group were treated with low-fat diet (10%). Serum triglycerides (TGs), total cholesterol (TC), liver enzymes, and creatine kinase concentrations were evaluated, before and after 1 mo of medical or dietary treatment. Triglyceride concentrations were reduced with fenofibrate (P < 0.001), and 85.93% of the dogs normalized their levels. Triglyceride concentrations also decreased with low-fat diet (P < 0.001), but only 26.6% of the dogs normalized their levels. Triglyceride concentrations were reduced with fenofibrate (P < 0.01) and with low-fat diet (P < 0.01). Of the cases with hypercholesterolemia, 53.7% and 50% of the dogs normalized their TC concentrations, with fenofibrate and diet, respectively. No significant adverse effects were observed (3% showed diarrhea). Fenofibrate was safe and effective in reducing and normalizing TG concentrations in dogs with severe hypertriglyceridemia, regardless of the cause of hyperlipidemia. The low-fat diet was effective in reducing, but not normalizing, TG concentrations. Fenofibrate and low-fat diet were effective in reducing TC concentrations. This is the first study evaluating fibrates in dogs with severe hypertriglyceridemia and comparing results with a low-fat diet., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Pheochromocytoma diagnosis in dogs is challenging because biochemical tests are not always available. In humans, urinary vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) is part of a pheochromocytoma biochemical diagnostic profile, whereas its diagnostic accuracy is currently unknown in dogs with pheochromocytoma. Prospectively, VMA was determined by HPLC and expressed as the ratio with respect to urinary creatinine (VMA:C). The diagnostic accuracy of the VMA:C ratio was evaluated by analyzing the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve in 10 healthy dogs, 8 dogs with pituitary-dependent hypercortisolism, 8 dogs with adrenal-dependent hypercortisolism, and 7 dogs with pheochromocytoma. The pheochromocytoma diagnosis was confirmed by histology and immunohistochemistry in all tumors. The VMA:C ratio was significantly higher in dogs with pheochromocytoma (158 [53.4 to 230.8] × 10 -3 ) than in dogs with adrenal-dependent hypercortisolism (48.1 [24.3 to 144.9] × 10 -3 ; P < 0.05), dogs with pituitary-dependent hypercortisolism (37.5 [32 to 47.1] × 10 -3 ; P < 0.001), and healthy dogs (33.8 [13.3 to 87.9] × 10 -3 ; P < 0.001). When using a VMA:C ratio >58.2 × 10 -3 for pheochromocytoma diagnosis, a sensitivity of 85.7% and a specificity of 88.4% were obtained. Nevertheless, when using a cut-off ratio of 4 times the median VMA:C ratio determined in healthy dogs, there was no overlap (100% specificity). The area under the ROC curve indicated that the VMA:C ratio test could be used to discriminate between dogs with and without pheochromocytoma, what leads to the conclusion that it is useful for pheochromocytoma diagnosis in dogs., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)