Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How accurate is the LH test to tell if a cat is spayed or intact
By Krecic, Matthew R et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2018·1 Zoetis, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Accuracy of a point-of-care luteinizing hormone test for help in distinguishing between sexually intact and ovariectomized or castrated domestic cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that a commercial luteinizing hormone (LH) test can help determine if a cat is sexually intact or has been spayed (ovariectomized) or neutered (castrated). The test showed high accuracy, with about 91% of results correctly identifying the reproductive status of both male and female cats. However, some female cats in heat gave false-positive results, so if a cat shows signs of being in heat and tests positive, it's recommended to retest after 24 hours. This test can be a helpful tool for veterinarians when assessing a cat's reproductive status.
People also search for: cat spay test · how to tell if my cat is spayed · cat in heat symptoms · luteinizing hormone test for cats
Abstract
Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of a commercial luteinizing hormone (LH) test as an aid in distinguishing between sexually intact and ovariectomized or castrated domestic cats. Methods Convenience serum samples collected from sexually intact female and male cats (n = 67) undergoing elective sterilization surgery and archived sera from ovariectomized and castrated cats (n = 54) were tested for LH using a commercial diagnostic assay. Test results were compared with the known reproductive status of the cats. Additionally, sera from sexually intact (n = 54) and ovariectomized (n = 94) queens were collected at specific times of the year to evaluate possible seasonal effects on test results. Results Overall test sensitivity was 89.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 82.3-94.2%), specificity was 92.6% (95% CI 87.1-96.2%) and accuracy was 91.1%. Analysis of results of female cats (n = 216) - sexually intact (n = 87) and ovariectomized (n = 129) - yielded a test sensitivity of 90.8% (95% CI 82.7-96.0%), a specificity of 92.3% (95% CI 86.2-96.2%) and accuracy of 91.7%. Analysis of the results of male cats (n = 53) - sexually intact (n = 19) and neutered (n = 34) - yielded test a sensitivity of 85.3% (95% CI 68.9-95.1%), a specificity of 94.7% (95% CI 74.0-99.9%) and accuracy of 88.7%. The sera of 10 intact queens unexpectedly yielded positive LH results; two of these cats were in estrus, based on visual inspection at the time of ovariohysterectomy. Test accuracy was 94.6% for those 148 samples collected at specific times of the year, with two samples each over three, 3 month periods yielding false-positive results. Conclusions and relevance The commercial point-of-care LH test is a useful adjunct to historical and physical examination findings for determination of reproductive status in domestic cats. Repeat testing 24 h later should be considered for those female cats with signs of estrus and initial positive test results.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29099270/