MORTALITY IN MINK KITS FROM BIRTH TO WEANING

In 1988, a necropsy survey of the pattern and major causes of mortalit y in mink kits from birth to weaning was undertaken. The overall prewe aning mortality rate was 20%. Mortalities occurring within the first t hree days after birth accounted for 91% of submissions, and 78% of the kits in this age group had no lesions or bacterial isolates. The aver age weight of kits which died within one day of birth (7.9 g) was sign ificantly lower than the average birthweight of healthy kits (10.7 g). In kits under four days of age and with lesions, the most common diag noses were dystocia (12%), systemic infection (4%), anasarca (2%), and congenital defects (10%). In unweaned kits four days of age or older, the most common diagnoses were systemic infection (19%), external tra uma (6%), dystocia (5%), and cervical adenitis (2%).