Feline Anemia
If your cat has anemia, it means he has fewer red blood cells than he needs to carry oxygen to his tissues. Most anemic cats, though, live a long, healthy life, especially with early diagnosis.
There are two types of feline anemia: Nonregenerative and regenerative. Nonregenerative anemia happens when
your cat’s bone marrow doesn’t make enough red blood cells. There may
be a drop in the hormone that helps make them or a problem with the bone
marrow itself. On the other hand, regenerative anemia is when your cat has a loss of red blood cells or the red blood
cells die too soon. Your cat’s bone marrow makes up for the lost blood
cells by making more red blood cells. But it can’t keep up with the loss
of cells.
Futhermore, there are two types of regenerative anemia. First is Hemolytic anemia which happens when your cat’s immune system destroys its own red blood cells
by mistake. This can be hard to spot, so many cats with this kind aren’t
diagnosed properly. Second is blood loss anemia. It’s when your cat loses too many red blood cells from bleeding.
A drop in your cat’s red blood cells can lead to anemia. It’s caused by a number of conditions, including trauma or injury to blood vessels, severe parasite infestations such as fleas and hookworms, tumors, blood-clotting problems from other diseases, autoimmune disease, Feline leukemia virus, chemicals or toxins, cancer, severe or chronic disease such as cat urinary tract infection, poor nutrition and Feline immunodeficiency virus.
Symptoms of cat anemia include:
- Pale pink to white gums and tongue
- Weakness and low energy
- Sleeps a lot
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Quick breathing and heart rate
