Feline anemia is a condition caused by a lack of red blood cells in the body. If, for some reason, your cat’s red blood cells are rapidly declining, or if their bone marrow makes fewer red blood cells than usual, they may be suffering from anemia.
Vaccination and taking repellents are essential to prevent anemia in cats｜Source: Getty Image Bank
If your gums or soles are pale, you should suspect anemia.
Symptoms of anemia in cats are similar to those in humans. Because the number of red blood cells that supplied oxygen to cells and organs decreased, they suffered from hypoxia and showed lethargy and fatigue than usual. They may also refuse to eat and have shortness of breath. Symptoms of jaundice may appear, and in some cases, bloody stools and hematuria may be seen. In addition, the inside of the gums, the soles of the feet, and the nose, which were red, become pale. If anemia is left unattended, the lack of oxygen in the body can lead to organ dysfunction, which can put the cat’s life at risk.
Anemia in cats is generally divided into two types, with different causes depending on the type. Regenerative anemia (hemolytic anemia) is a condition in which the amount of red blood cells lost is greater than the amount of red blood cells the cat’s bone marrow can produce. It is caused by congenital difficulties in red blood cell production due to genetic diseases such as Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (PK-Def), external factors such as organ damage or traumatic bleeding, parasitic infection, etc. Anemia can also occur if the mother cat and kittens have different blood types.
Pyruvate kinase deficiency is a condition in which pyruvate kinase, an essential enzyme substance that helps maintain red blood cells, is deficient, reducing the lifespan of red blood cells and causing them to disappear quickly, causing anemia. It is mainly found in Abyssinian and Somali cat breeds, and recently there have been reports that it is also frequently observed in Singapura and Bengal cats.
Non-regenerative anemia (aplastic anemia) is a condition in which the bone marrow fails to make red blood cells properly. Compared to regenerative anemia, the symptoms are more severe and the prognosis is poor. It is caused by a lack of iron in the body due to nutrient imbalance, or infection with feline leukemia virus or immunodeficiency virus. In particular, it is known that 30 to 65% of cats with chronic renal failure experience non-regenerative anemia.
Blood transfusion is for securing treatment time…removing the cause is the top priority
Feline anemia can be diagnosed simply by checking the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin in the blood with a blood test. In healthy cats, red blood cells account for 25 to 45 percent of the blood, and in anemic cats, the amount drops to less than 25 percent. After that, ultrasound, virus/parasite test, urine test, and bone marrow test can be additionally performed to find out the cause of anemia.
Treatment is to remove the cause of anemia first, but if the number of red blood cells is low when visiting the hospital, you must receive a blood transfusion. However, the purpose of blood transfusion is to secure time to treat the cause of anemia by replenishing insufficient red blood cells rather than curing the disease. If feline anemia is detected and treated early, the prognosis is good. However, due to the nature of anemia, there are no obvious symptoms, so it is difficult for companions to notice. That is why prevention is very important.
You should regularly take vaccines and repellents to prevent infectious diseases and parasites that cause anemia, and it is good to provide a balanced diet so that you do not have enough iron to make red blood cells. In addition, it is desirable to pay attention to the surrounding environment so that the cat is not stressed.
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2023-06-28 06:06:00
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