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Thyroid function tests in healthy kittens aged between 2 and 16 weeks.

Christina L Marino¹, Timothy A Bolton², Margret L Casal¹

¹Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery

|October 28, 2024

Summary

Thyroid hormone levels in kittens peak around 5-6 weeks of age. Understanding these normal concentrations is crucial for diagnosing congenital hypothyroidism in fading kittens.

Keywords:

Hypothyroidism congenital fading kitten syndrome neonatal pediatric thyroxine

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Area of Science:

Veterinary Medicine
Endocrinology
Neonatal Animal Health

Background:

Limited data exists on normal thyroid hormone levels in healthy kittens.
Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is a potential cause of fading kitten syndrome (FKS).

Purpose of the Study:

Determine normal serum thyroid hormone concentrations (TT4, fT4, TT3, fT3, TSH) in healthy kittens aged 2-16 weeks.
Establish age-specific reference ranges for neonatal and pediatric cats.
Provide data to aid in the diagnosis of CH in kittens presenting with FKS.

Main Methods:

Serum samples were collected from 19 healthy kittens aged 2-16 weeks.
Concentrations of total thyroxine (TT4), free thyroxine (fT4), total triiodothyronine (TT3), free triiodothyronine (fT3), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were measured.
Results were analyzed across different age groups.

Main Results:

Thyroid hormone concentrations (TT4, fT4, TT3, fT3) varied significantly with age.
Peak TT4 and fT4 levels occurred at 6 and 5 weeks, respectively, with TT4 exceeding adult reference intervals in over 50% of samples at 6 weeks.
TSH levels remained stable and within adult cat reference intervals (ACRI) across all age groups.

Conclusions:

Kitten thyroid hormone levels naturally peak around 5-6 weeks, likely due to post-weaning hormonal shifts and development.
Establishing these normal ranges is vital for veterinarians to differentiate CH from other causes of FKS.
This study provides essential reference data for feline pediatric endocrinology.