Companion Cats: Most Common Diseases by Age... "Conjunctivitis" in Kittens, "Chronic Kidney Disease" in Seniors

NIAS Analyzes Disease Characteristics by Life Stage
Findings to Inform Future Prevention-Focused Health Policies and Insurance Products

It has been found that the most common disease affecting companion cats between one and two years old is conjunctivitis. For adult cats aged three to eight, periodontal disease is most frequent, while after the age of thirteen, chronic kidney disease becomes more prevalent.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Rural Development Administration announced on May 6 that a team of Korean researchers scientifically analyzed the major disease characteristics of companion dogs and cats throughout their life cycles, using medical data from animal hospitals, and released these research findings.

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With the recent increase in households raising companion animals, demand for veterinary care is also rising. This has heightened the need to establish a prevention-focused health management system that can help alleviate the financial burden of medical expenses for pet owners. To this end, the National Institute of Animal Science at the Rural Development Administration conducted related research by refining and analyzing approximately 500,000 medical records collected from 82 animal hospitals nationwide between 2020 and 2023. After removing duplicate and unstructured data, 220,000 cases involving dogs and 39,000 cases involving cats were finalized for analysis.

Kang Sukjin, Director of the Animal Disease Prevention Division at the National Institute of Animal Science, explained, "This study scientifically classified the life cycle of companion animals by combining large-scale medical data from animal hospitals in Korea with an AI-based standardization methodology."

The analysis revealed that the types of major diseases vary depending on age group. In companion dogs, conditions such as otitis externa, patellar luxation, and retained deciduous teeth (where baby teeth remain alongside permanent teeth) were common in the puppy stage (up to one year old). After reaching adulthood (two to five years), skin and urinary diseases became more prominent in addition to those already mentioned. In senior dogs, the prevalence of chronic heart and kidney diseases—such as mitral valve insufficiency, where the heart valve does not close properly and blood regurgitates—increased.

For companion cats, conjunctivitis, otitis externa, and respiratory failure were frequently observed at younger ages (up to two years old). Notably, the proportion of infectious diseases such as pneumonia was relatively higher at this stage compared to other life cycles. After reaching adulthood (from three years old), periodontal and urinary diseases became the main health issues. In the senior stage (after thirteen years old), the incidence of chronic diseases such as chronic kidney disease and hyperthyroidism showed an increasing trend.

Jung Miyoung, Director of the Companion Animal Industry and Veterinary Policy Division at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, stated, "We expect that these research findings will serve as important foundational data for expanding preventive veterinary care and implementing policies to ease the burden of medical expenses for companion animals." She added, "We will continue to share research outcomes with the domestic pet insurance and veterinary industries, and in cooperation with relevant organizations, systematically build a prevention-oriented veterinary care system and animal medical information."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.