The Savannah Signal Final Issue 2011 Neonatal Isoerythrolysis
Incompatible blood types of the parental cats have recently been implicated as a cause of feline neonatal mortality. This incompati- bility arises when queens with Type B blood give birth to kittens who inherited the sire’s blood Type A. Type B is rare in mixed breed and Siamese cats, but is much more common in certain purebreds such as British shorthair and Devon rex cats. Type B cats have naturally-occurring anti-A antibodies.
When the kittens nurse and absorb these antibodies, the kittens’ own red blood cells are hemolyzed, leading to anemia and organ failure. The clinical course is determined by the severity of the hemolytic reaction. In all cases, the kittens are born healthy and nurse vigorously. Some kittens may die suddenly in the first day, while others linger longer and fade during the first week of life. Clinical NI is suggested by dark red-brown urine and confirmed by documenting hemolytic anemia and the blood types of the par- ents.
If NI is suspected, the kittens are removed from the queen and fostered on a Type A queen or bottle-fed for the first two days of life. NI can be avoided in catteries by testing the blood types of breeding animals and avoiding matings of Type B queens with Type A toms.
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