Background: Clostridioides difficile can colonize the intestine of cats, but the need for treatment remains unclear. Although C. difficile prevalence is associated with intestinal dysbiosis in humans and dogs, it has not yet been described in cats.
Objectives: To assess the prevalence of C. difficile in cats and its association with intestinal dysbiosis. Animals: 277 cat feces from four studies were evaluated: 83 healthy cats (HC); 94 cats with chronic enteropathy without a history of antibiotic use in the four months prior to enrollment (CE; food-responsive, n= 20, and steroid-responsive, n= 74); and 100 samples from cats with unknown clinical status submitted to a diagnostic laboratory.
Methods: A retrospective analysis of feces using qPCR for C. difficile and Dysbiosis Index (DI).
Results: C. difficile was detected in 0% (0/83) of HC, 7.4% (7/94) of cats with characterized CE, and 13% (13/100) of cats with unknown clinical status. Cats positive for C. difficile had significantly increased DI (median [min–max]: 2.4 [-0.1 to 4.4] vs. -0.1 [-4.4 to 4.1]) compared to cats negative for C. difficile (Mann-Whitney, P-value < 0.001). The odds ratio of C. difficile detection was 19 times higher in cats with increased DI (DI > 0) compared to normal DI (DI < 0) (OR 95%CI: 3.3 – 201.5, Fisher’s exact, P-value < 0.001). Conclusions and clinical importance: Colonization by C. difficile was associated with intestinal dysbiosis. The overall prevalence of C. difficile was 7.2% (20/277); however, in cats with CE, prevalence did not appear to be influenced by treatment.
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