Digestion of bentiromide and absorption of xylose in healthy cats and absorption of xylose in cats with infiltrative intestinal disease.

The digestion of bentiromide and the absorption of D-xylose was measured in 17 clinically healthy cats. The plasma xylose concentrations of the healthy cats were compared with values from 9 cats with diffuse infiltrative intestinal disease. The cats were administered 16.7 mg of bentiromide/kg and 0.5 g of xylose/kg via a stomach tube. Plasma samples were obtained before administration and 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after administration. The maximum mean plasma p-aminobenzoic acid concentration occurred at 60 minutes, with a value of 386 +/- 134 micrograms/dl (mean +/- SD). The maximum mean plasma xylose concentration also occurred at 60 minutes, with a value of 26.0 +/- 9.2 mg/dl. Plasma concentrations of p-aminobenzoic acid and xylose were lower in healthy cats than those reported for healthy dogs. There was no significant difference between xylose concentrations in healthy cats and cats with infiltrative intestinal disease.