Cat  Anemia – When Blood Count Matters

A common but quite serious health condition that may affect a feline is cat anemia.  Anemia occurs when the body does not have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen around every part where it is needed, to the muscles, to the lungs and to the heart.  An anemic cat is lethargic and weak, aggravated by it having decreased appetite for food. 

There is a condition where the body naturally corrects this deficiency.  In regenerative anemia, the bone marrows replenish the red blood cell supply by producing more, releasing them into the blood stream.  This kind of anemia occurs when the red blood cells get depleted because of blood loss, or when they get destroyed by the body’s immune system. 

On the other hand, non-regenerative anemia occurs when the bone marrow cannot and does not produce the required red blood cells.  In felines, this type of cat anemia is almost always caused by CRF or chronic renal failure.  Simply put, kidneys stop producing the hormones that tell the bone marrow to do the blood restoration rescue.  Sad to say, CRF is a progressive and incurable disease.

Veterinarians treat cats with CRF though proper diagnosis and through slowing down the  progress of this disease.  Cats are made to feel as comfortable as they can and are continuously given the right nutrients and liquids to boost the immune system.

Cat anemia is clearly a matter of not having a healthy blood count. Much of this can be avoided from the start, right when the kitties are still at their mother’s womb.  The right kind of nutrition, specifically the essential vitamins and minerals should be present in the mother’s diet to avoid anemia.