The Savannah Signal Final Issue 2011
www.savannahcatclub.com When To Stop Resuscitation
1. No response after 15–20 minutes of effort (continued agonal respiration, bra- dycardia).
2. Serious congenital defect detected (cleft palate, loud murmur, gastroschisis, large omphalocele, large fontanel).
Husbandry: The First Days
SBT A1 Savannahs
Post resuscitation or within the first 24 hours of a natural delivery a complete physical examination should be performed by a veterinarian, technician or knowl- edgeable breeder. The oral cavity, hair- coat, limbs, umbilicus and urogenital
structures should be visually inspected. The mucous membranes should be pink and moist, a suckle reflex present, the coat full and clean, the urethra and anus patent. A normal umbilicus is dry without surrounding erythema. The thorax should be ausculted; ve- sicular breath sounds and a lack of murmur are normal. The abdomen should be pliant and not painful. A normal neonate will squirm and vocalize when examined, nurse and sleep quietly when returned to the dam. Normal neonates will attempt to right themselves and orient by rooting toward their dam. Neonates are highly susceptible to environmental stress, infection and malnu- trition. Proper husbandry is critical and should include daily examination of each neonate for vigor and recording of weight.
Warmth
Puppies and kittens lack thermoregulatory mechanisms until four weeks of age, thus the ambient temperature must be high enough to facilitate maintenance of a body temperature of at least 97 degrees F (36ºC). Hypothermia negatively impacts immunity, nursing and digestion. Exogenous heat should be supplied, best in the form of an overhead heat lamp. Heating pads run the risk of burning neonates incapable of moving away from excessively hot surfaces. Chilled neonates must be re-warmed slowly (30 min- utes) to avoid peripheral vasodilation and dehydration. Tube feeding should be delayed until the neonate is euthermic, hypother- mia induces ileus and regurgitation and aspiration can result.
Neonatal normal body temperature (rectal):
Week 1 95–99ºF 35–37.2ºC Week 2–3 97–100°F 36.1–37.7ºC At weaning: 99–101°F 37.2–38.3ºC
Environmental warmth required: Wk 1: 84–89°F 28.9–31.6ºC Wks 2/3: 80°F 26.6ºC Wk 4: 69–75°F 20.5–23.9ºC Wk 5: 69ºF 20.5ºC
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