Emergency care for kittens

Kittens will frequently present as emergencies at first opinion veterinary clinics, and the initial care they receive can make the difference between life and death. Guillaume Hoareau gives some basic pointers as to how such cases should be approached.
 

Guillaume L. Hoareau
DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVECC, Dipl. ECVECC
 

Introduction

Kittens and young cats are often presented to veterinarians with life-threatening conditions. Due to their small size and unique physiology they can represent a significant challenge, and it is therefore crucial that veterinarians understand the specificities of this patient population and develop an adequate skillset to care for these animals in the acute care setting. This clinical review will present general concepts for the emergency management of kittens and young cats, and emphasize specific points relating to these animals. Note that it can be helpful to divide this patient population into neonates (from birth to two weeks of age) and pediatric patients (from two weeks to six months of age).

General emergency approach

Triage examination 

Every patient presented on an emergency basis should undergo a triage examination. The word "triage" is of French derivation and refers to the action of attending to the patient while determining priorities for action. The goal of this process is (i) to decide if the patient requires immediate life-saving measures and (ii) to prioritize resources toward specific individuals when multiple patients require medical attention simultaneously. It is important that each clinic develops specific triage protocols tailored to their own situation, but it is also essential to remember that the triage examination is the first contact with a pet’s owners, who can often be very distressed, and communicate with them accordingly. 

Traditionally, the “ABC” algorithm has been used to initiate the triage, as it evaluates airway patency, breathing (is the patient breathing spontaneously? Are there signs of respiratory distress?), and circulation (are there signs of circulation or shock?) (Figure 1). The presence of shock can be assessed on physical examination by evaluating perfusion parameters: mentation, heart rate, pulse quality, mucous membrane color, capillary refill time, and extremity-to-core gradient temperature. [...]