PRELIMINARY CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS FOLLOWING INTRAVEINOUS BLOOD TRANSFUSION IN LOCAL DOMESTIC MONGREL CAT’S IN SOKOTO, NIGERIA

Abstract

In this study an attempt was made to look into intravenous blood transfusion. In this part of the country it is rarely performed, neither in the few veterinary teaching hospitals, nor in our local veterinary clinics. However, several clinical cases are regularly lost due to problems of anaemia, and several other situations of blood insufficiencies. Eighteen (18) adult stray cats were used. Six as donors, six as recipients, and six as control receiving normal saline. Blood was collected from the jugular vein of cats under sedation, and transferred to sedated recipients. Vital parameters (temperature, pulse, heart beat rate and respiratory rate.), packed cell volume (PCV) and clinical reactions to the infusions were observed. The PCV of the recipients increased between 5-10% while the temperature was seen to be increasing as the transfusion was taking place. There was an average increase of 6-10c. In the body temperature .clinical signs observed during the initial blood transfusion includes, salivation, urination, muscular tremors, vomiting, lacrimation, and bloat. While the signs were more severe after the repeat transfusion two weeks afterwards, indicating serious transfusion reactions such as severe salivation, urination, muscular tremors, vomiting, lacrimation, mydriasis, lethargy, convulsions, facial oedema, opisthotonus and death. These experiments showed that blood transfusion in the local mongrel cats in northwest Nigeria can be performed to save the live of a cat with problems of blood insufficiency. However, with some adverse reactions, a repeat blood transfusion is not recommended because it can come with attendant severe transfusion reactions, including death. The findings were discussed in the paper.