Anemia in Cats: What Causes It and How to Treat It Effectively
Nov 13,2024 | puaintapets
Anemia in cats is a serious condition where your cat’s red blood cell count is lower than normal, reducing their ability to carry oxygen throughout their body. While anemia itself isn’t a disease, it is a symptom of an underlying problem that can range from mild to life-threatening. If your cat shows signs of lethargy, pale gums, or weakness, anemia could be the culprit. In this article, we’ll explore the common causes of anemia in cats, its symptoms, and treatment options to help you care for your feline companion.
What Is Anemia in Cats?
Anemia occurs when a cat’s body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. This condition can result from various health issues, ranging from nutritional deficiencies to chronic diseases or even infections. The severity of anemia depends on the underlying cause, and in some cases, it can be life-threatening if left untreated.
Symptoms of anemia in cats
1. Pallor of the visible mucous membranes
Anemic cats usually show pallor of the visible mucous membranes, including the nose, gums, inner eyelids, and pads of the feet. The pale color of these areas is an important sign of anemia because they reflect a decrease in the number of red blood cells in the blood.
2. Poor mental state
An anemic cat may appear listless, lethargic throughout the day, inactive and lacking interest in its surroundings. This is because anemia results in an inadequate supply of oxygen, which affects the cat's energy level and mobility.
3. Rough and dull fur
Anemia may cause the cat's fur to become rough, dull and lack luster, and even show a lot of hair loss. This is because anemia affects the health of the skin and coat, leading to a decline in coat quality.
4. Increased respiration and heart rate
To compensate for the lack of oxygen supply, an anemic cat may experience increased breathing and heart rate. This is a natural response of the body trying to improve oxygen delivery by increasing the breathing and heart rate.
5. Loss of appetite
Anemic cats may experience a loss of appetite, which may be due to discomfort and lack of energy caused by anemia. The cat may lose interest in food or even refuse to eat altogether.
6. Weight loss
Anemic cats may experience weight loss due to loss of appetite and lack of energy. Long-term anemia may lead to wasting and deterioration of the cat's health.
7. Ectophagia
In some cases, anemic cats may develop xenophagia, the behavior of gnawing on foreign objects. This may be due to nutritional deficiencies caused by anemia, and the cat tries to replenish the missing nutrients by gnawing on foreign objects.
What Causes Anemia in Cats?
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Insufficient Nutrition
Lack of sufficient protein, iron, folic acid, vitamin B12 and other nutrients in the cat's diet may lead to nutritional anemia. For example, long-term consumption of low-quality cat food or an unbalanced diet will lead to a lack of essential nutrients in the cat's body, which will lead to anemia.
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Diseases
Cats suffering from diseases such as parasites, feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus may trigger anemia. For example, Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) affect the hematopoietic function of the bone marrow, resulting in decreased production of red blood cells.
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Parasites
Parasites such as hookworms and roundworms may cause anemia in cats, especially common in kittens and older cats. Parasites can suck nutrients from the cat's body, leading to anemia.
Related: Coccidia in Cats: Understanding the Tiny Yet Troublesome Parasites
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Blood loss
Surgery, childbirth, trauma and other causes may lead to blood loss in cats, triggering anemia. For example, massive blood loss due to trauma or surgery can drastically reduce the number of red blood cells in the cat's body.
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Hemolysis
Red blood cells are destroyed faster than the bone marrow can produce new red blood cells, leading to anemia. For example, certain medications, toxins or diseases may cause red blood cells to break down, which can trigger hemolysis.
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Bone Marrow Disorders
Bone marrow dysfunction, such as aplastic anemia, can lead to decreased red blood cell production. For example, certain genetic disorders or drug side effects may affect the normal function of the bone marrow, leading to anemia.
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Genetic Factors
Certain genetic disorders, such as pyruvate kinase deficiency, can lead to abnormal red blood cell production and trigger anemia. For example, pyruvate kinase deficiency, an autosomal recessive disorder, causes depletion of ATP in red blood cells and an inability to maintain normal cellular metabolism, leading to hemolytic anemia.
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Environmental factors
Environmental pollution, too many electronic devices, and the use of detergents and pesticides can negatively affect a cat's health and lead to anemia. For example, long-term exposure to polluted environments or frequent contact with chemicals may damage the cat's hematopoietic system and trigger anemia.
What to Do About Anemia in Cats?
Anemia in cats is a common health problem that can be caused by a variety of reasons, including blood loss, nutritional deficiencies, and disease. The following are detailed treatments for anemia in cats:
1. Confirm the cause of anemia
First, you need to take your cat to the pet hospital for a comprehensive examination to determine the specific cause of anemia. Common causes of anemia include:
Hemorrhagic anemia: blood loss due to trauma, surgery, parasitic infection, etc.
Hemolytic anemia: destruction of red blood cells due to ingestion of toxic substances, immune system problems, etc.
Nutritional anemia: dietary deficiencies of iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, and other nutrients.
Disease anemia: such as feline leukemia, feline AIDS, etc.
2. Treatment of the original disease
If the anemia is caused by other diseases, such as parasitic infections and chronic diseases, the original disease needs to be treated first. For example, if the anemia is caused by gastrointestinal bleeding, the gastrointestinal disease should be treated.
3.Nutritional supplementation
If the anemia is caused by nutritional deficiencies, it can be treated by supplementing these nutrients. For example, nutritional supplements can be used under the guidance of a veterinarian, or the cat's diet can be changed to include foods rich in these nutrients.
Iron supplementation: Iron can be supplemented by feeding iron-rich foods such as lean meat, chicken liver, eggs, beans, green leafy vegetables and dried fruits.
Vitamin B12 supplementation: Vitamin B12 can be supplemented by feeding meat, fish, eggs and dairy products.
Folic acid supplementation: Folic acid can be supplemented by feeding green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts, eggs, liver, etc.
4. Blood transfusion treatment
Blood transfusion is a quick and effective treatment if a cat loses a lot of blood. Blood transfusion can quickly replenish the amount of blood in the cat's body and relieve the symptoms of anemia. Blood transfusion is usually carried out in veterinary clinics or hospitals, and it is necessary to find a suitable blood donor cat and make sure the blood type matches.
5. Medication
Depending on the cause of the anemia, the veterinarian may prescribe different medications to treat it.
Erythropoietin: used to stimulate the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells.
Iron dextrose: used to supplement iron and promote red blood cell production.
Recombinant human erythropoietin injection: used to stimulate red blood cell production.
6. Daily care
During the treatment period, attention needs to be paid to the daily care of cats, including keeping warm, avoiding cold, reducing external stimulation, keeping the environment clean, strengthening water intake and ensuring high-quality protein food.
How to Adjust Your Cat's Diet for Anemia?
Anemia in cats is a common health problem, usually caused by nutrient deficiencies such as iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, or blood loss. In order to help your cat regain its health, it is important to adjust its diet. Here are some specific suggestions for dietary adjustments.
1. Increase iron rich food
Iron is an important raw material for synthesizing hemoglobin, so it needs to be supplemented in large quantities when cats are anemic. You can feed your cat iron-rich foods such as red meat (beef, lamb, venison, etc.), Ⅲ salmon, chicken breast, chicken liver and duck liver. These foods can be fed individually or made into a nutritious cat meal. It should be noted that animal liver should not be eaten more than once, it can be fed 1-2 times a week, and it can be mixed into other meats at each feeding.
2. Choose nutritionally balanced cat food
Cat food is the staple food of most cats, and choosing nutritionally balanced ecological cat food can ensure that cats get enough nutrition. You can choose cat food rich in protein, vitamins and minerals to meet your cat's nutritional needs.
3. Appropriate feeding of vegetables and fruits
Although cats are carnivores, feeding some vegetables and fruits appropriately can replenish the vitamins and fiber needed by the body.
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Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is important for the formation of red blood cells. This can be achieved by feeding your cat foods rich in vitamin B12, such as eggs. Eggs are very nutritious and can be fed 2 - 3 per week, and the yolks are high in vitamin B12.
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Folic Acid
Folic acid helps to improve anemia. Some green leafy vegetables such as spinach, cooked in small quantities can be mixed with meat and fed to cats. However, it should be noted that cats are carnivorous animals and vegetables cannot be used as staple food and can only be added in small quantities.
4. Regular deworming
Parasites will suck the cat's nutrition, which will lead to anemia. Therefore, regular deworming is an important measure to prevent anemia in cats.
5. Avoid feeding single food
Long-term feeding of a single food may lead to insufficient nutrition in cats, thus triggering anemia. Therefore, diversified food should be provided to ensure that cats receive comprehensive nutrition.
6. Pay attention to the way the food is cooked
Raw meat may contain some germs or parasites, therefore meat is usually cooked before feeding to cats, and it is best to feed cats in conjunction with cat food and according to the cat's food intake as appropriate.
FAQs
Can a cat recover from anemia?
Anemia in cats can be cured; the key is timely detection and treatment. Treatment of anemia varies depending on the underlying disease. If there is trauma bleeding leading to anemia, surgery is required to close the trauma. In the case of anemia caused by poisoning, vomiting or other means of removing toxins from the body will be required before treatment can be given. The presence of fleas, ticks and other parasites need to be dewormed. Cats with chronic kidney disease require erythropoietin, synchronized supportive care and dietary therapy. If gastrointestinal bleeding is present, soothing and protection is needed in addition to treatment of the bleeding. Feline leukemia and feline AIDS also require appropriate treatment and supportive care. Cancer may require surgery, chemotherapy, etc. Follow your doctor's instructions for specific treatments.
For less seriously affected cats, the physical condition can slowly recover after eliminating the cause of the disease, while for seriously affected cats (PCV below 15%), blood transfusion is required before eliminating the cause of the disease. Before giving the cat a blood transfusion, a blood sample will be collected for diagnostic testing or blood group analysis. In the case of iron deficiency anemia, iron supplements can be used, vitamin B12 and folic acid can be given to aid red blood cell hematopoiesis, hemolytic anemia will be given to detoxify and protect the liver, and traumatic should be stopped immediately.
What toxins cause anemia in cats?
Mycotoxins: such as the monotelomeric mycotoxins (including T-2, HT-2 and II fusarium mycotoxin DAS), which are commonly associated with cereal-based products and are usually most common and abundant in oats and oat products. Ingestion of cereals contaminated with T-2 and HT-2 toxins is the underlying cause of human upper gastrointestinal toxic leukemia, a disease characterized by severe myelodyscrasia and high mortality. Ingestion of Ⅱ fusarium enol (DAS) causes blood disorders in humans and animals, including neutropenia and aplastic anemia.
Drugs and chemicals: Many classes of drugs cause anemia if accidentally ingested or if their prescribed use is not closely monitored; these include common human and animal drugs such as acetaminophen, aspirin, naproxen, penicillin, and many other antibiotics and antiparasitic agents. Other toxins that cause anemia include plants such as oak, red maple and fern; foods such as fava beans and onions; chemicals; and heavy metals such as copper, lead, selenium and zinc.
What parasites cause anemia in cats?
Ascaris lumbricoides: Ascaris lumbricoides is a common intestinal parasite that can cause depression, growth retardation, stunting, occasional diarrhea, blood in the stool, and chronic enteritis in puppies, and the worms can sometimes be seen in the feces. In more serious cases, it can lead to death of the puppy, roundworm endotoxin poisoning, and secondary epilepsy.
Hookworms: Hookworms are the second most common intestinal parasite in dogs and are uncommon in cats. The larvae can penetrate the skin or mucous membranes of the mouth and become infected. Infected mothers can transmit the infection to their puppies through their milk, but cats do not transmit the infection through their milk. Hookworms are more dangerous, as they infest the mucous membranes of the animal's intestines and suck blood. Puppies/cats are at high risk of infection, and if left untreated, they can progress to serious illnesses that can lead to life-threatening anemia, weakness, and malnutrition.
Tapeworms: Tapeworms are named for their thin, flattened bodies that resemble duct tape. Dogs and cats become infected by eating tapeworm-infected fleas and ticks or by preying on certain rodents that are infected. Tapeworms parasitize the small intestine and steal nutrients from the dog's and cat's food, and are sometimes visible to the naked eye as flattened, rice-like tapeworm egg sacs on the underside of the dog's and cat's tail or in the feces. Tapeworms rarely infect people. Symptoms are not obvious in mild infections. Severe infections cause diarrhea, vomiting, indigestion, sometimes alternating between diarrhea and constipation, emaciation, anemia, and extreme weakness in dogs and cats. Intestinal obstruction can occur when the worms are in clusters. Some may show neurological symptoms.
Conclusion
Anemia in cats is a serious condition that can stem from a variety of underlying causes, ranging from blood loss and infections to chronic diseases and nutritional deficiencies. If you notice signs of anemia in your cat, such as pale gums, lethargy, or weakness, it's crucial to seek veterinary care promptly. Early diagnosis and treatment can help manage the condition and improve your cat’s quality of life.
Also Read: Anemia in Cats: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
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