Fat digestibility is reduced in old cats with subnormal cobalamin concentrations

Abstract

Fat digestibility is decreased in old cats for unknown reasons. Subclinical gastrointestinal diseases and pancreatic dysfunction, both related to ageing, can affect food digestibility. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the prevalence of subnormal cobalamin concentration and pancreatic disease in old cats and study the relationship between both markers and fat digestibility. A total of sixty-four cats without evident signs of gastrointestinal disease were included and grouped according to age: (1) fifteen middle-aged (MA), aged 3–7 years; and (2) forty-nine old, aged 10–17 years. All cats were tested for serum cobalamin, specific feline pancreatic lipase (fPL) and feline trypsin-like immunoreactivity. Then, sixteen of the old cats were selected and grouped according to cobalamin and fPL concentrations: control (normal cobalamin and fPL); low vitamin B12 (cobalamin <290 ng/l; normal fPL); and high fPL (normal cobalamin; fPL >4 µg/ml). A food digestibility trial with a high-fat diet (21·6 %) was performed. In the old group, cobalamin was lower and fPL higher than in MA cats. Of the old cats (n 49), 14 % had subnormal cobalamin, 8 % had a severe increase in fPL, 2 % had both alterations and 14 % had a slight increase in fPL. By contrast, MA cats did not have cobalamin deficiency or an increase in fPL concentrations. Fat digestibility was lower in low vitamin B12 cats than control cats. Decreased fat digestibility is not present in all old cats but could be a characteristic of subclinical chronic gastrointestinal disease. Cobalamin concentration, as a marker of gastrointestinal disease, could be useful for the routine evaluation of old cats.

Healthy Ageing Is Associated with Preserved or Enhanced Nutrient and Mineral Apparent Digestibility in Dogs and Cats Fed Commercially Relevant Extruded Diets

“…No consistent effects of age on DM, fat, protein or starch apparent digestibilities were demonstrated, although the differing responses of adult and senior cats with the LF-MFb and HF-LFb diets suggest an age-related effect on the digestibility of certain types of ingredients delivering protein and fat, which may help explain the conflicting findings among earlier studies [3,4,11,12,25]. Two of these studies showed a decline in fat digestibility occurring with age [4,12], which according to one study [25] was accompanied by subnormal serum cobalamin, and therefore attributed to subclinical chronic gastrointestinal disease. A remarkable decline in the apparent digestibility of protein (<77%) or starch (<96%) has been primarily found in cats at or above 13 years [3,12].…”

Vitamin B12 in Cats: Nutrition, Metabolism, and Disease

“…The direct influence of diet on serum cobalamin concentration can depend on several factors, and age, sex, and breed play important roles. Older cats frequently show decreased absorption of this vitamin, probably related to a decreased ability to digest it due to reduced ileal and pancreatic function [39,40]. Kittens show lower serum cobalamin concentration during the first months of life; this may be related to the immaturity of the microbiota, the gastrointestinal tract, and the pancreas.…”

Metagenomic and metabolomic analysis of the short-term and long-term effects of antibiotic therapy on the intestinal microbiota in growing kittens and their relation to the overall health status of these kittens

“…In humans, about 80% of non-absorbed cobalamin is converted to corrinoids. 158 Cobalamin is important for DNA, fatty acid 159 and methionine synthesis, 160 and plays a role in normal hematopoiesis and neurologic function. 159 Folate is both dietary-and microbially-derived.…”