Hemorrhage can also occur in the stomach or intestines due to ulcers or inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. The hookworm parasite ( Ancylostoma tubaeforme), which feeds on blood in the intestines, can cause anemia in cases of severe infestation. Flea and tick infestations are a major cause of anemia, especially in kittens, as the parasites suck blood from the body faster than it can be replaced. Loss of red blood cells (hemorrhage) can be due to an obvious source such as a wound or trauma, or from more insidious causes. Feline anemia is common and can be secondary to many health conditions. A discussion of some, but not all of the common causes of anemia from each of those categories is provided below. There are many causes of anemia in the cat, but they can be broken down into three major categories: loss of red blood cells, destruction of red blood cells, and failure to produce new red blood cells. The signs of anemia can be very vague, however, and if a cat has been anemic for a long time, their body has likely had time to compensate and the cat may show no signs at home. Black stools can be seen if blood loss occurs in the stomach or intestinal tract, and discolored urine can be a sign of red blood cell destruction. In extreme cases, the cat may have trouble breathing, and respiratory and heart rates can increase as the body tries to compensate for the lowered oxygen delivery by the red blood cells.ĭepending on the cause of anemia, fever and loss of appetite may occur due to an infection or inflammatory response. The cat’s gums may appear almost white or even yellow (a condition called jaundice) due to red blood cell destruction. An anemic cat may have little energy to play or may sleep more than usual. Without enough red blood cells in circulation, cells will not receive enough oxygen or nutrients to survive, so anemia can become a critical or even fatal situation very quickly.īecause anemia starves the body of oxygen (the body’s fuel), the first sign is often lethargy. These cells circulate for about 70-80 days before being removed from circulation and replaced with new red blood cells from the bone marrow. Red blood cells carry oxygen and nutrients to the body’s tissues. The normal PCV for a cat is 25-45%, and any PCV below 25% is considered anemic. Packed Cell Volume (PCV, also often called hematocrit) is the most common way to measure anemia and refers to the percentage of blood volume that is taken up by red blood cells. doi:10.1002/jgf2.Lung Ailments: A Widespread Source of Feline WoeĪnemia means a decreased number of red blood cells in circulation. Diagnosis and treatment of macrocytic anemias in adults. National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Pretreatment high mcv as adverse prognostic marker in nonanemic patients with head and neck cancer. Megaloblastic anemia and other causes of macrocytosis. St Louis, MO: ElsevierĪslinia F, Mazza J, Yale S. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. Best Practices for Injections and Related Procedures Toolkit. Reliability of different RBC indices and formulas in discriminating between β-thalassemia minor and other microcytic hypochromic cases. MCV (mean corpuscular volume).īordbar E, Taghipour M, Zucconi BE. Borderline-high mean corpuscular volume levels are associated with arterial stiffness among the apparently healthy korean individuals. Mean corpuscular volume and mortality in patients with CKD. Hsieh YP, Chang CC, Kor CT, Yang Y, Wen YK, Chiu PF. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S.
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