Conference misery::feline_v1

    I have never heard of that Jo.  But I'll ask my vet about it.
    Since I'm up here in Boston, I'm a little concerned.
      Nancy DC

    Jo, 
    
    If you had your Mom and Dad cats typed, and Mom and Dad were both
    type A, would it follow that all the kittens would also be type
    A?  Or, am I trying to make this all too simple?  If so, it could
    save you some money on the typing.  Then in the future, you could
    request all potential studs to be typed before breeding.
    
    	-Nancy

    I own my own stud so I don't have to worry about that.  I will have
    to have him typed along with all of my queens.
    
    From what I understand, two A parents can begat a B offspring. 
    The owner of the sire of one of my queens sent me a letter saying
    that although he is A, he had a B type daughter and I should have
    Laci tested before breeding her.
    
    I do have to worry about any females that come over for breeding
    now too.  I want to be sure that all Birman breeders are aware of
    this problem.
    
    Jo

    I knew it cuoldn't be that simple.  If it was, we wouldn't be faced
    with the seriousness of this problem.

    Jo,
    
    I would be extremely interested in this.  I lost an entire litter
    of kittens last spring, and my vet said it appeared as if they had
    developed/were developing an antibody to their own blood and they
    were killing off their own red blood cells.  
    
    The second time the female was bred to a different male and everything
    went fine.  
    
    Wonder if this could effect Exotic Shorthairs as well as other breeds??
    
    Please VAXmail me anything you get, as I unfortunately don't get
    to keep up with this conference as much as I'ld like.
    
    Looking forward to seeing more info.
    cin
    

    Cin, they have found this second bloodtype in other breeds as well
    as in the stray cat population.  I don't have the letter I received
    from the University with me today, but will send you a copy.
    
    Jo

    Great, thanks Jo,  do you know if they can do the blood typing when
    they draw blood for say a FelV test???  Mine are all due to go in
    in the next couple months, maybe I'll have them typed at the same
    time.
    
    cin
    

    Cin, from what I have been told, you have your vet draw the blood,
    pack it according to the university's instructions, and then ship
    it off to them for typing.  The vets can't do the typing themselves
    yet.  You are also requested to include a copy of each cats pedigree
    with the blood sample so that they can study the method of inheritance.
    
    If it was easy to have them all typed, and didn't involve the
    additional expense of shipping the samples to Pennsylvania, I would
    have all my cats done.  
    
    This problem was brought to the attention of Birman breeders at
    our annual show last year in Medina.  Gayla Geering (Toccata Birmans)
    is a vet, and is involved with the research project.  SCBF (Sacred
    Cat of Burma Fanciers) voted to donate $1000 to the research on
    this problem.  Gayla will keep us abreast of any new developments.
    
    The symptoms of the dying kittens sound like what you described.
    You may want to have just that queen tested, and the sire of that
    litter (if he is yours).
    
    I will see what info I can find for you.
    
    Jo

    Why is it that this doesn't have the same effect in humans?  The nursing
    being a danger I mean?
    

    I understand it is similiar to the negative RH factor, which is
    lethal in humans (I think).  I think that in those cases, the baby
    dies in utero.
    
    Jo (who really doesn't understand this stuff yet)

    Hmm.  I wonder if Rhogam would help pregnant cats?  That is what
    human pregos receive if they are Rh negative to prevent problems.
    As I read this, I wondered if it was similar to the Rh factor 
    problem.  If the mother is negative and the baby (or one of
    the babies is positive) the positive baby will pass the 
    antibody through the placenta to the mother causing her
    to have a very serious reaction - usually resulting in death
    if not treated.
    
    I guess you could say it's similar to giving someone the wrong
    blood type.  The keyword would be incompatibility.
    
    E.T.

    Um, my understanding of how Rh incompatibility works in humans is that
    the baby (fetus) is the one in danger while it's in the womb.  The
    antibodies or whatever will attack its blood factors.  I have never heard
    that there is a danger after the baby is born from the mother's milk,
    however.  That's why I'm wondering if we have the "true facts" here....
    

    Like I said in the basenote, this is being studied at this time.
    I am not sure that even the researchers have the "true facts". 
    The symptoms are kittens that are born alive, then deteriorate as
    they begin nursing, and eventually die.  When taken from the mother 
    cat and raised by hand, they do not die.  The whole reason this is 
    being researched is to try to discover what the true facts are.
                     
    I would say that at this point, any information about this could
    be considered "speculation".
    
    jo
    

    re: -1  You're right, its the fetus that's in danger.  If the
    Mother is RH neg and the baby is RH pos (Rh+ is dominant) then
    the mother will build up antibodies to the RH factor in the baby's
    blood.  Usually this is not a problem for the first or even second
    baby.  What happens is that with each exposure to the RH + factor
    the mother's body builds a higher level of antibodies.  By the 
    time the third pregnancy happens she's built up a sufficiently
    high level for it to be a danger to the baby.
      The name given to a baby with this problem is "blue baby" because
    they are cyanotic  (Lack of oxygen in the blood - hence the blu'ish
    tinge).  There is a medication that can be given to the mother now
    that brings the antibody level back down after each pregnancy. That
    way, the level doesn't have a chance to build up to the dangerous
    level.
    
      I also have never heard of a problem from the mother's milk, but
    maybe that's because 1. Humans don't nurse as often as Cat mommies
    They use bottles instead and 2. When the antibody level is high
    enough the cause problems for the baby - the baby didn't live long
    enough to nurse...(that's theory) 
    
      Nancy Dc
    

    The following is the letter I recieved from the University of
    Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.
    
    Department fo Clinical Studies - Philadelphia
    3850 Spruce Street
    Philadelphia, 19104-6010
    
                           FELINE BLOOD TYPING
                           
    The Section of Medical Genetics, School of Veterinary Medicine,
    University of Pennsylvania is studying a variety of inherited disorders
    in cats, and investigations on the AB blood group frequencies and
    incompatibility reactions have been initiated.  Our limited survey
    of the feline blood group frequency in Philadelphia and throughout
    the United States, including feline blood donors at Veterinary Medical
    Teaching Hospitals, indicated that most cats (more than 99%) in
    the United States are of blood type A, and type B cats generally
    are rarely encountered.  However, our recent study of purebred cats
    throughout the United States suggests that the prevalence of type
    B in cats in certain breeds or purebred lines might be higher. 
    Thus far, blood type B cats have been documented in Persian, Himalayan,
    Birman, Abyssinian, British Shorthair and domestic shorthair cats.
     The mode of inheritance of feline blood groups is not well understood.
    
    Of great importance is the fact that blood type B cats have high
    titers of strong antibodies against type A red blood cells.  These
    naturally occuring antibodies can cuase two serious incompatibility
    reactions:
    
    1) If a queen of blood type B has kittens of blood type A, the maternal
    anti-A antibodies in the colostrum will cause destruction of red
    blood cells (hemolysis).  Kittens that develop neonatal isoerythrolysis
    are born healthy and alive, start to have red-brown colored urine
    within hours of colostrum intake, may become icteric and often die
    within 12-48 hours.  Foster nursing of kittens form queens with
    litters lost to neonatal isoerythrolysis or that only develop early
    clinical signs can be successful.  Neonatal Isoerythrolysis can
    be prevented by blood typing tom and queen before the first breeding
    and by avoiding breeding of an A tom to a B queen.
       
    2) Cats with teh rare blood type B are at risk to develop a
    life-threatening transfusion reaction when receiving blood from
    a type A cat.  Such reactions can be avoided by blood typing and
    cross-matching, and administering compatible blood.  A feline blood
    donor with type B red cells is now available at the University of
    Pennsylvania for the patient with type B blood.
    
    We are presently studying the mode of inheritance of the feline
    blood group system and are further characterizing neonatal
    isoerythrolysis and transfusion reactions in cats.  In particular,
    we are interested in smaller breeds, the Birman and the British
    Shorthair  cats.  Blood typing of cats is available at the University
    of Pennsylvania.
    
    Urs. Giger, Dr.med.vet., FVH
    Diplomate, ACVIM (Internal Medicine)
    Assistant Professor of Medicine
    
    
    Jo
    
    PS- I think that by smaller breeds he meant those whose numbers
    are less than most purebred cats, not smaller physically.