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Pre-mortem risk factors for mortality in kittens less than 8 weeks old at a dedicated kitten nursery
Emily D Dolan1, Erin Doyle2, Huyanh Ralph Tran3
1Strategy and Research, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, New York, NY, USA.
Insights
Underage kittens with low body weight, panleukopenia, weight loss, URI, anorexia, low body condition score, or diarrhea face a significantly higher risk of mortality in shelters. These factors are key predictors for survival outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Animal Welfare Science
- Shelter Medicine
Background:
- Kittens, especially those under eight weeks, have unique care needs in shelters due to disease susceptibility and socialization requirements.
- Dedicated kitten nurseries aim to meet these needs, but mortality rates remain high compared to adult cats.
- Limited knowledge exists regarding pre-mortem clinical signs associated with kitten mortality in shelter environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify clinical signs and diagnoses that predict mortality in underage kittens within a shelter setting.
- To provide data that can inform improved monitoring, intervention, and euthanasia decision-making protocols.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study analyzed medical records of 1353 kittens aged under eight weeks from a New York City kitten nursery in 2017.
- Data included signalment, physical findings (body condition score), clinical signs (weight loss, anorexia, diarrhea, URI), and diagnoses (panleukopenia, trauma).
- Cox proportional hazard modeling was used to identify factors associated with death or euthanasia.
Main Results:
- Kittens in the lightest weight group had a 13-fold increased risk of mortality.
- Diagnoses of panleukopenia (13x greater risk) and upper respiratory tract infection (URI) (almost 4x greater risk) were significant predictors.
- Clinical signs such as weight loss (>9x greater risk), anorexia (3x greater risk), low body condition score (BCS) (2x greater risk), and diarrhea (almost 2x greater risk) were associated with increased mortality.
Conclusions:
- Clinical signs and diagnoses like low weight, panleukopenia, weight loss, URI, anorexia, low BCS, and diarrhea serve as crucial prognostic indicators for underage kitten survival.
- These findings can enhance protocols for monitoring, early intervention, and euthanasia decisions in shelter and rescue settings.
- Understanding these pre-mortem indicators is vital for improving outcomes for vulnerable young cats.
Objectives:
Kittens have unique requirements for care in a shelter setting given their higher susceptibility to infectious disease and socialization needs. Significant time and resources are necessary to care for this vulnerable population and dedicated kitten nurseries are one way to meet the requirements of kittens too young for neutering and rehoming. However, young kittens remain at a higher risk of dying relative to adult cats, even in specialized settings. Efforts to investigate kitten mortality have focused on post-mortem findings and little is known about pre-mortem clinical signs that may be associated with death. The purpose of this study was to elucidate predictors of mortality in underage kittens.
Methods:
The medical records of kittens aged <8 weeks reared in a kitten nursery in New York City during 2017 were examined. The data collected included signalment (estimated age and weight at intake, sex), physical findings (body condition score [BCS]), clinical signs (weight loss, anorexia, diarrhea, upper respiratory tract infection [URI]), diagnoses (panleukopenia, trauma), how early in the feline breeding season the kitten entered (April-November), and whether the kitten had died or was euthanized. The data were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard modeling with 1353 kittens to identify factors associated with any death or euthanasia.
Results:
Elevated risk of dying was found for kittens in the lightest weight group (13 times greater), diagnosed with panleukopenia (13 times greater), exhibiting weight loss (>9 times greater), diagnosed with URI (almost four times greater), exhibiting anorexia (three times greater), identified with a low BCS at intake (two times greater) and experiencing diarrhea (almost two times greater).
Conclusions And Relevance:
These findings identify clinical signs and diagnoses that can serve as prognostic indicators for underage kitten survival in a shelter/rescue setting and can aid in enhancing protocols for monitoring, intervention and euthanasia decision-making.
