USE OF TRANSCUTANEOUS BILIRUBINOMETRY AS A SCREENING AND MONITORING INSTRUMENT FOR HYPERBILIRUBINEMIA IN CATS AND DOGS

A hospital-based study was conducted to determine the efficacy of tran scutaneous bilirubinometry for screening dogs and cats for diseases re sulting in hyperbilirubinemia, and for predicting total serum bilirubi n values. The study was conducted at the University of California, Dav is Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) for a period of approxi mately 2 years that ended in October 1994. Cats and dogs were eligible for participation if they were patients during this time, and had a c hemistry panel performed as part of their complete medical study. The measurements were performed using a Minolta/Air Shields Jaundice Meter 101 and taken at four sites on the body. All transcutaneous readings were performed within 24 hours of serum measurements. Although the met er served as a useful screening device for hyperbilirubinemia in dogs, simultaneously achieving relatively high sensitivities and negative p redictive values, if was less effective in cats for this purpose. At f etal serum bilirubin levels above 1.0 mg/dl in particular, however, if was possible to construct regression models that provided excellent f its while controlling for species and the presence of skin pigmentatio n (e.g., for earflap readings, r = 0.96 (P < 0.00001). This study docu ments that transcutaneous bilirubinometry holds promise beyond human n eonatal medicine to diagnostic veterinary medicine for temporal monito ring of elevated bilirubin values and, in dogs, for screening.