Prevalence of electrophoretical and hematological changes in a colony of free roaming cats

PREVALENCE OF ELECTROPHORETICAL AND HEMATOLOGICAL CHANGES IN A COLONY OF FREE-ROAMING CATS Valentina Spagnolo*, Alessia Giordano*, Maria Teresa Manfredi*, Pietro Aurecchia**, Mattia Basilico**, Saverio Paltrinieri* *Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Igiene e Sanit\ue0 Pubblica Veterinaria, Facolt\ue0 di Medicina Veterinaria, Universit\ue0 degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, Milano, Italy; **Private DVM Establishing the prevalence of electrophoretic and hematologic changes in a colony of free-roaming cats and the relationship between these changes, the health status of the cats and their positivity for specific diseases. 78 adult cats living in a group of free roaming cat were captured in order to be spayed. A complete cell blood count using an automatic cell counter and a differential leukocyte count on May Gr\ufcnwald-Giemsa stained smears were done on blood collected in EDTA. Cellulose acetate electrophoresis and serology for toxoplasmosis (latex agglutination), FIV and FeLV (ELISA), were done on serum. The main diseases were parasitic otitis (25.6% of the cats), dermatitis (15.4%) stomatitis (12.8%), rhino-conjunctivitis (7.7 %) and diarrhoea (5.1%). The general health status was good in 62 cats, mild in 13 and poor in 3. FIV positivity was detected in 8 cats, 4 of which had rhinitis or stomatitis; all of the cats were negative for FeLV; serology for T. gondii was positive in 27 cats, 5 of which had clinical signs and 8 poor or mild health status. Compared with reference ranges, the most common hematologic changes were low Hb levels, lymphopenia, neutrophilia, low RBC numbers, leukocytosis, and eosinophilia. These alterations were present independently of the health status or of the presence of specific diseases or seropositivity. Compared to reference ranges, increases in total proteins, \uf0611-, \uf0612-, and \uf067-globulins increased in 31, 15, 25 and 48 cats, respectively. 64.5% of cats with hyperproteinemia and 73% of cats with increased \uf067-globulins had a good health status. 90% of cats with stomatitis, 67% of cats with rhinitis and 75% of FIV-positive cats had increased total proteins and \uf067-globulins. Hyperproteinemia and hyper-\uf067-globulinemia were present in 48.1% and in 74.1% of cats with toxoplasmosis. These results confirm that free roaming cats had a high prevalence of FIV and T. gondii positivity, associated to electrophoretic changes. Except for increased total proteins and \uf067-globulins in cats with stomatitis or rhinitis, hematologic and electrophoretic changes were not associated to specific diseases or to the general health status of the cats