Anemia in Cats
Anemia is a cat health problem that many cat owners have to deal with, most people notice at first a pale skin tone when the cat yawn, however there are other symptoms such as a pale tongue and gums. If you notice both of these signs you are likely to have a case of anemia in cats.
Other way to quickly assess if your cat is suffering from anemia is to check the conjunctivae, the membranes surrounding the eye. If they appear light or with a transparent tone instead of a light pink tone, you might be dealing with anemia. If after checking these ways you think your cat is not healthy, you should go to the veterinary for a proper diagnosis. Anemia affects the mood of cats making them feel weak and lethargic, sleeping more than usual. Other symptoms include shallow breathing, fever and discolored urine.
Diagnosing Anemia in Cats
Veterinarians can help determine anemia problems with a blood count sample, this will check the amount of red blood cells along with other data. To better discard this problem, some veterinarians opt for more tests such as the Feline Leukemia Virus/Feline Immunodeficiency virus test,
If there are abnormal readings with the test, this will be an indicator of anemia. Keep in mind that sometimes the cat looks healthy to you, but the fact is that it is suffering from anemia.
Anemia appears with different severity. The cases of extreme anemia in cats are life threatening and must be treated immediately. To avoid having worst anemia scenarios you should take care of your cat’s health by taking your cat to a routine check up by your veterinary. Prevention and early detection are key factors to deal with anemia.
What Causes Anemia in Cats
Anemia is commonly caused by a reduction of red blood cell production by the bne marrow, or the loss of functioning cells. If the anemia is not showing a regenerative response, this means that the bone marrow is not acting well.
Treatment of Cat Anemia
In the cases where anemia is severe, the cat may need a blood transfusion. Your cat’s blood should be properly determined to avoid a case of incompatible blood.
In light cases of anemia, medicine and care is needed. Erythropoietin replacement is used by vets for cats with chronic kidney failure. Other types of anemia, such as the ones caused by cancers or terminal infections are not yet effectively treated.
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