Demographic and Baseline Characteristics
Mean age was 8.0 years (SD = 3.9, range 2–15 years) and 6.5 years (SD = 3.6, 1.0–14 years) in cats fed Diets A and B, respectively. Spayed females represented 62% (n = 6) and 40% (n = 6), while neutered males represented 38% (n = 5) and 60% (n = 9) of cats fed Diets A and B, respectively. Mean body weight was 4.9 kg (SD = 1.3, range 3.0–7.3) and 4.6 kg (SD = 1.2, range 2.9–7.0); and mean BCS was 3.2 (SD = 0.6, range 2–4) and 3.1 (SD = 0.6, range 2–4) on a 5-point scale in cats fed Diets A and B, respectively. Results of the PCR fecal panel showed that 16 of the 28 cats (Diet A n = 9; Diet B n = 7) tested positive for C. perfringens enterotoxin gene; 1 cat (Diet A n = 1; Diet B n = 0) tested positive for C. coli; and 17 cats (Diet A n = 9; Diet B n = 8) tested positive for FCoV. Eighteen of the 28 cats (Diet A n = 10; Diet B n = 8) tested positive for FCoV antibody. There were no statistically differences in the baseline characteristics of the cats between diet groups, and diagnostic screenings showed no clinically meaningful differences.