Neonatal Isoerythrolysis
I wanted to share my experience with Neonatal Isoerythrolysis
- Blood type incompatibility.
Flame my sorrel Australian Import Abyssinian was due to have her 2nd litter of kittens in May 2005. She started labour and then stopped so my vet decided a Caesarian was necessary. Mum and I were present for the surgery, we went in and there was 5 kittens, 4 sorrels and 1 fawn. They took a LONG time to breathe and get going. It was a very nerve racking time, but in the end they were all fine. We bought Flame and the kittens home and I bottle fed the kittens for the first 6 hours (2 hourly) till Flame was ready to accept them. Then she fed them and I topped them up with the bottle.
The next day I noticed little blood blisters in 4 of the kittens tails about ¾ of the way down. I got the vet round to check them and we first thought it was due to lack of oxygen at birth. We decided to do a blood test to check her blood group anyway, when she got her stitches out but didn’t think that would be the cause. Meanwhile the kittens tail tips (one was ¾ of the tail) dried up and fell off over the first week. One kitten lost the edge of his ear too and one kitten was not affected at all. When the blood results came back we got a shock, Flame was blood group B.
And so what we were experiencing was neonatal isoerythrolysis. It turned out that the kittens having the bottle over that first 6 hours actually saved their lives. I had no idea that it was even a possibility that Flame could be a B blood group. I had heard about it in other breeds but not Abys. We have no idea why her first 3 kittens in her 1st litter were not affected. We had that stud tested and he was group A, just like the 2nd stud she went to.
Flame had one more litter and unfortunately went over due and needed another caesarian and there was only 1 kitten so I had her spayed. I bottle fed the kitten for the first 24 hours then she was allowed to drink from Flame. She was fine and not affected at all.
Here is a link to a website I found VERY useful.
http://www.dr-addie.com/Blood%20groups.htm
(Photo above of the girl that lost ¾ of her tail)
Now I am very aware of this potential problem and would not import again without knowing the blood group of the cat was A.
Jody Robinson-Wildey