Cat pica anemia12/9/2023 ![]() ![]() These tests can include any or all of the following: blood work, testing for infectious disease, urine tests, X-rays or other imaging studies, biopsy of abnormal organs or tumors, and more. ![]() Baby blood cells can also be seen on a blood smear, telling a veterinarian or a pathologist whether or not the cat is making new blood cells.īecause anemia in cats is a secondary problem, it's also necessary to run tests to determine what is causing the anemia. Anemia can also be detected on a blood smear, and if there are any parasites or other red blood cell defects causing the destruction of red blood cells, those can be seen as well. Anemia is detected on a blood test called a complete blood count, which does just that: counts all the blood cells. How Is Anemia in Cats Diagnosed?Īnemia in cats is diagnosed with a combination of physical examination findings and laboratory testing. If a cat has a primary disease that is causing anemia, such as liver disease, kidney disease or cancer, then they may also show signs associated with those diseases. Nutritional deficiency: Anemia can occur in cats that do not get enough iron or cobalamin (vitamin B12).Īnemic cats may show some of the following clinical signs:.Inherited disorders: Feline congenital porphyria, a problem stemming from an enzyme deficiency, leads to hemolytic anemia and is a problem mostly seen in the Siamese cat breed.While sometimes this damage can be corrected if caught early, many times the damage is irreversible and healthy bone marrow is replaced by scar tissue. Bone Marrow Damage: A wide variety of toxins, infectious diseases and cancers can result in damage to or the complete destruction of the bone marrow, which produces red blood cells.Anemia of chronic disease: Conditions like liver disease, kidney disease, hormonal conditions or cancer can create chronic conditions in the body that reduce the body's ability to create new blood cells, causing non-regenerative anemia.Trauma: Hemorrhage from trauma, such as being hit by a car or bit by a dog, can cause life-threatening anemia if not treated immediately.In addition, chronic bacterial infections, cancer, some medications, vaccine reactions and hormonal changes are also suspected to cause autoimmune anemia in some cats. Infectious causes, like the ones already mentioned, trigger autoimmune anemia. Autoimmune disease: Autoimmune anemia occurs when the cat's own immune system attacks and destroys red blood cells.Believe it or not, zinc from pennies minted after 1982, copper toxicosis, moth balls, skunk musk and ibuprofen can all cause hemolytic anemia. Exposure to toxins: Cat-toxic foods, like garlic and onions, can cause anemia.Anemia is also associated with feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus. Infectious diseases: Blood-borne parasites, including Mycoplasma and Cytauxzoon felis, can cause hemolytic anemia (destruction of red blood cells).Internal or external parasites: A very common cause of anemia in kittens and feral cats, parasites like fleas or roundworms can suck enough blood out of a cat to cause anemia.While red blood cells play a large role in diagnosing anemic cats, other causes may include the following: Let's take a closer look as to what causes a cat to be anemic. Because of this, cat anemia treatment varies depending on the severity and cause. Further, anemia can range from mild with no noticeable clinical signs to severe enough to be life-threatening. ![]() There are two main causes of anemia in cats: Either they don't make enough red blood cells or something is destroying red blood cells faster than they can replace them.Īnemia can be a temporary, one-time problem, or it can be a long-term condition. Anemia in cats occurs when there aren't enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to their body's tissues, making the cat tired and weak. ![]()
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