Content
- What is anemia?
- Causes of Anemia in Cats
- Anemia symptoms in cats
- How is anemia diagnosed in cats?
- Treatment of anemia in cats
- Is it possible to prevent anemia in cats?
Although cats and dogs are very different animals, the truth is that a cat needs the same veterinary attention as a dog, such as adequate food, company, time and all the dedication we can give it.
The reason is that our responsibility as owners is that our cat enjoys a full state of health and well-being, both physical, psychological and social, and this involves informing ourselves about the various diseases that can affect our feline. .
Discover in this article by PeritoAnimal some of the Anemia symptoms and treatments in cats, so that you know what this disease is, how it manifests itself and how we should act in the face of it.
What is anemia?
The term anemia medically means lack of any element in the blood and it is a disease that human beings can also suffer from. There are two types of anemia that can affect our cat.
When we talk about anemia in cats, this condition is defined by a small number of red blood cells in the blood, these globules being the cells in charge of transporting oxygen to nourish the tissues and carbon dioxide until it is eliminated through respiration.
As we will see below, anemia can be caused by many factors, but all of them result in a decrease in red blood cells and hemoglobin, which is the pigment responsible for the uptake and transport of oxygen.
Causes of Anemia in Cats
Between the main causes of anemia in cats we must highlight the following:
- Blood loss from external or internal hemorrhage
- autoimmune disease
- viral infection
- Kidney disease
- Cancer
- Adverse drug reaction
Anemia symptoms in cats
As we mentioned earlier, red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen, so if you suffer anemia, the tissues that make up your cat's body will not receive enough oxygen, manifesting this condition mainly through lethargy, tiredness and low exercise tolerance.
However, other symptoms that may indicate anemia are as follows:
- Decreased appetite
- Weight loss
- Mucosal pallor
How is anemia diagnosed in cats?
To diagnose anemia in cats we mainly have two analytical tests that are carried out through a blood extraction and subsequent study of our sample:
- hematocrit: It will indicate the volume of red blood cells present in the cat's blood, determining if this interval is normal or if, on the contrary, it corresponds to a state of anemia.
- Blood count: Also known as a complete blood count, this analysis gives us information about all the elements of the blood, red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
Obviously it is not enough to diagnose anemia, it is a priority to establish the cause, for this the veterinarian will take into account the clinical history of the cat, all the symptoms it presents, will carry out a complete physical exploration and should also rule out the presence of viral diseases such as leukemia.
Treatment of anemia in cats
The treatment of anemia will depend mainly on the cause and in case you are facing severe anemia, a blood transfusion to restore red blood cell levels.
This therapeutic tool will be taken into account not only when anemia is severe but also when it is caused by some type of hemorrhage, and sometimes several blood transfusions may be necessary until the animal's own body is able to synthesize new red blood cells healthy.
The other therapeutic tools that can be used will depend on the underlying cause and treatment should be targeted at eliminate or treat the trigger of anemia.
Is it possible to prevent anemia in cats?
Some of the causes of anemia in cats are unpredictable and preventing them can be very difficult, however, we can employ several measures to help us maintain our cat's welfare and to prevent this disease to a greater extent:
- Try to keep your cat indoors to avoid the transmission of infectious diseases, if your cat has contact with the outside, consult your veterinarian about which vaccines are more suitable for the prevention of these diseases.
- Deworm your cat frequently.
- Make sure your cat eats a healthy and balanced diet and stays alert to any changes in habits.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.