|
Overview:
Neonatal
Isoerythrolysis (NI) is the result of incompatible blood groups
between the mother & her kittens & is a cause of 'fading
kitten syndrome'.
Cats have one
of three blood groups, A, B & AB (AB is very uncommon). A being
dominant & B recessive. Genes come in pairs (one from the
mother, one from the father) & their blood group may be A/A
(homozygous), A/b (heterozygous) or b/b (homozygous). Note: Ab
(heterozygous) is completely different to the AB blood group. We
won't go any further into genetics & inheritance in this
article.
Neonatal
isoerythrolysis occurs when a kitten is born with type A blood
to a queen with type B blood. Unlike other animals, who
develop antibodies as a result of previous pregnancies to
offspring with the A blood group, cats have naturally
occurring anti-A antibodies, and do not need to have had a prior
exposure.
The queens first milk
is known as colostrum. Colostrum is produced in the first 48 -
72 hours after birth & provides newborns with essential
nutrients & antibodies which protect the kitten from
infection. However, in this case the antibodies attach to the
kitten's red blood cells, causing their destruction.
What are the
signs of neonatal isoerythrolysis?
Kittens are
healthy at birth but one to two days later their health
deteriorates rapidly. Symptoms include;
How is it
diagnosed?
Blood testing
of the queen & kitten(s).
How is it treated?
Your
veterinarian may perform blood transfusions & provide supportive
care. Even with treatment, prognosis is guarded.
Prevention is
the best way to address blood type incompatibilities. Avoiding
mating a queen with a B blood type with a tom who has an A blood
type.
If such a
mating does occur, preventing the kittens drinking the colostrum
is required. It is always important to know the blood group of
the queen prior to mating. With this knowledge, if you know the
queen has a type B blood group, and are able to determine the
blood type of the kitten(s) prior to it suckling, any kittens
with the same blood type as the queen (ie: B type), are
fine to nurse. Any kittens which have type A blood with a type B
queen must avoid nursing for the first 3 days. They can either
be fostered to a queen who has A blood type, or given kitten
milk replacer (KMR) for the first three days. After this, they
can be returned to their mother.
Please note:
The medical
articles on this site have not been written by a veterinarian &
should not be considered a replacement for a veterinarian visit.
The articles are provided for informative purposes only & should
not be used for
the diagnosis or treatment of any
medical condition.
Always seek
immediate veterinary advice for any problems (health or
behavioral) in your pets.
While great care
has been made in the creation of these articles, we cannot
guarantee the accuracy or omissions on these pages. If in any
doubt whatsoever, seek professional medical advice.
|
