Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care Medicine: Self-Assessment Color Review, Second Edition, Q&A 10

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Student tip: This case is helpful for those studying blood typing of cats.

A 5-year-old male neutered Persian cat is referred with a PCV of 0.12 l/l (12%) for a blood transfusion. The owner’s second cat is to be the donor.

Question	Answer		Article
What blood groups are identified for cats?	Type A, type B, and type AB.		Link to Article
What concerns are there with giving blood to the owner’s Persian cat from the cat shown?	Type A (most) and type B (many pedigree) cats have alloantibodies to the opposite blood type. Type A blood can cause a fatal reaction in type B cats. The recipient cat is a pedigree Persian (potentially type B) and the donor cat is non-pedigree (likely type A). Type AB can receive blood from any of the three blood groups. Recently, a second major blood grouping has been identified involving the Mik red cell antigen. Significant transfusion reactions in cats typed to be compatible (even AB blood groups) may involve this antigen.		Link to Article
What should be tested in both cats before the transfusion is given?	Both cats: blood type and FeLV/FIV status; cross-match (possibility of Mik red cell antigen).		Link to Article
What infectious disease testing is recommended in cats for routine donation?	Hemoplasmosis (mycoplasmosis) and bartonellosis recommended; conditionally, testing for cytauxzoonosis, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, and neorickettsiosis.		Link to Article
How much blood can be collected from a donor cat?	11–13 ml/kg lean body weight of donor cat (typically 60 ml with anticoagulant).		Link to Article
How should the blood be administered to the Persian cat?	Place IVC; place donor fresh whole blood into commercial blood administration bag (can use syringe with syringe pump if only option); attach blood filter to bag or an in-line Hemonate® blood filter; stop infusion of any other colloid; begin blood infusion at 0.5 ml/kg/hr for the first 15 minutes, observing for tachycardia, hyperpnea, weakness, or swelling; if no adverse signs, infuse remainder at rate necessary to meet the cat’s needs.		Link to Article
What causes a transfusion reaction, and what are the acute clinical signs in the cat? How should a reaction be treated?	Blood transfusion reaction can be due to administered donor blood that is: mismatched blood type; contaminated; causing circulatory overload; improperly stored causing damaged RBCs; initiating an immune reaction to the donor’s blood cells or plasma. Acute symptoms include fever, facial swelling, vomiting, weakness, incontinence, shock, collapse, and severe hemolysis. Treatment begins with stopping infusion of donor blood. Shock/hypotension are treated with IV fluid resuscitation. Other treatment depends on the suspected cause: contaminated blood – antibiotics; immune reaction –glucocorticoid administration; fever, vomiting, facial swelling – symptomatic treatment.		Link to Article

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