Evaluation of sleeping respiratory rate in cats with congestive heart failure: the degree of adherence to this test of animal owners and its impact on patient survival
Purpose of the study. To study the owners' adherence to assessment of sleeping respiratory rate in cats with congestive heart failure and its effect on the survival of sick animals. Materials and methods. A retrospective study of the survival rate of 84 cats with congestive heart failure. Results. It was found that the degree of owners' adherence to the assessment of sleeping respiratory rate has a significant effect on the survival rate of cats with congestive heart failure. The median duration of life of sick cats, whose owners had a high adherence to monitoring a respiratory function, was significantly longer. It was determined that the low degree of owners' adherence to this problem is an independent predictor of the lethal outcome in cats with congestive heart failure. Conclusion. It is recommended to identify in a timely manner the factors of low diagnostic adherence among owners and to conduct explanatory work to improve it.