Chapter 11
11. Feline A, B and AB Blood Typing
The Feline A & B Blood Typing Test Cartridge is used with the Heska Element COAG
™
Analyzer for in vitro blood group determination. The Feline A & B Blood Typing cartridge
is intended for use in performing a rapid blood group determination for cats from a drop
of diluted EDTA-stabilized whole blood.
11.1. Feline Blood Typing
11.1.1. Feline Blood Groups
Figure 11.1:
The Feline A & B Blood Typing
test kit.
The AB system is the major blood group
system in domestic cats. The common
blood types are A and B. Cats with blood
type A have naturally occurring anti-B an-
tibodies at a low titer and cats with blood
type B have naturally occurring anti-A an-
tibodies at a high titer. A third rare type AB
is also known. Cats with the rare AB type
do not have anti-A or anti-B antibodies.
There are however no null phenotype and
as a consequence, there is no universal
donor [48].
The A and B blood groups are geneti-
cally determined and blood type A is the
most common among cats but the fre-
quency varies significantly by breed and
geographic location. Breeds that do not
have the B type are Siamese, Burmese,
American Shorthair, Oriental Shorthair
and Tonkinese. Breeds with high incidence of the B blood type are Abyssinian, Japanese
Bobtail, Birman, Persian, Scottish Fold, British Shorthair, Cornish Rex, Exotic Shorthail,
Somali, Sphynx, Turkish Van, Turkish Angora and Devon Rex [49].
The inheritance of the rare AB group is not well understood and the incidence of the
AB type is reported to be less than 1 %. Breeds that have the very rare type AB blood
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