Cats like to eat and sleep, so knowing when they're ill is difficult.It can be hard to see when a cat has stepped from being relaxed to ill health.
Step 1: If there is an accident or trauma, you should check your cat's teeth.
It should be a healthy pink color.Anemic animals have pale pink or white gums.If the cat is pale because of shock, it's a good idea to get it seen by a vet.Pale gums are a sign that the cat needs supportive care.
Step 2: Improper health can lead to anemia.
Anemia develops slowly when cells die but aren't replaced, and unless the animal experiences rapid blood loss, it is common for it to develop.In older cats, the bone marrow gets replaced with non-functional scar tissue, which is the factory that makes red blood cells.The body's ability to make new cells slowly decreases.Red blood cells are similar to every cell in the body and have a natural lifespan.Red blood cells are destroyed by the spleen over time.
Step 3: Look for things that are not normal.
The lack of symptoms in the early stages is due to the slow decrease in red blood cells giving the body time to adapt to less oxygen.When the anemia is severe, that cat will start to show signs.These include low energy levels.General weakness Lethargy.This might show itself as the cat who used to greet you, no longer getting up when you come home, and the hunter who spent all day in the fields may stay home asleep.Eating loss and weight loss are signs that a cat with anemia has a poor appetite.
Step 4: There are symptoms of an underlying condition that cause the anemia.
It is possible that the cat has an underlying health issue.You are more likely to see signs of the disease.There are a number of diseases which can cause anemia.Vomiting, vomiting, blood in the feces, weight loss, poor appetite, increased thirst, low energy levels are all symptoms of cancer.Killing the parasites removes the cause of the anemia if the cat is otherwise well.The cat should be feeling better within a few weeks if the bone marrow is functioning and the red blood cells are replaced.If the initial problem is identified and addressed, a vet is unlikely to give a blood transfusion because the cat would be weak, listless, and poorly.
Step 5: Some conditions won't have any symptoms.
Unfortunately, problems such as bone marrow disease are largely "silent", that is they don't show signs other than a decreased product of red blood cells.The body's immune system can destroy red blood cells in a case of mistaken identity, which can happen within a few days.Bleeding down of red blood cells can flood the blood with yellow products.The urine will be bright orange and cause the eyes to be yellow.
Step 6: The vet should check your pet's teeth.
If your pet is pale and there is no recent history of trauma, the vet will check their teeth to make sure they are healthy.Some cats appear pale at the vet's because of fear, which causes peripheral blood vessels in the gum to contract and squeeze the blood out of them.For a quick escape, this mechanism transfers blood to the muscles.
Step 7: It's a good idea to get blood work done on your cat.
The standard test is to draw blood from the cat's neck or foreleg.A fine bore glass tube is used to transfer the blood from the EDTA tube to the capillary tube.The red blood cells are separated from the fluid in which they are suspended by this.The percentage of red blood cells present is calculated using this spun down sample.This is done by placing the capillary tube on a special gauge.Red blood cells are divided by the length of the fluid as a whole to give a percentage.A packed cell volume is also known as a reading.The cat is anemic if this figure is below 33%.A PCV between 21- 33% is mild, between 15-20% is moderate, and below 15 % is severe.
Step 8: The vet will probably not give your cat iron.
Iron deficiency is rare in cats and usually arises because of chronic blood loss in a cat eating a poorly balanced diet.Adding iron to a cat isn't anything to be gained.
Step 9: You can talk to your vet about the transfusion.
Anemic cats may need a blood transfusion in order to buy time until the underlying cause can be diagnosed and treated.If the bone marrow is working, moderate or mildly anemic cats don't need a transfusion.The cat will make more cells than she loses if the source of blood cell loss is identified and treated.The exception is bone marrow problems.The cat is unable to make new cells because the bone marrow runs out of baby red blood cells.There isn't much that can be done to help these cats, other than repeated blood transfusions, which may be the most humane option.
Step 10: Anemia is what you need to know.
A reduction in the number of circulating red blood cells is known as anemia.Percentage terms are used to describe the amount of red blood cells.The percentage of the cat is usually between 33 and 50%.Red blood cells make up 32% of the blood in a given volume.haemoglobin plays a vital role in delivering oxygen to the body's tissue, and red blood cells contain it.Deprived of oxygen, organs, muscles and tissue can lead to clinical signs.
Step 11: Understand why anemia happens.
Anemia is a symptom, not a diagnosis.Anemia because of blood loss is one of the reasons that can be broken down into groups.Bleeding from the colon, inflammation of the bowels, and parasites sucking blood are some ways to lose blood.Iron deficiency can lead to lack of hemoglobin synthesis.
Step 12: It can be hard to diagnose anemia.
A complex and involved process that requires blood tests, blood smears, and x-rays can be used to determine the cause of the anemia.The first thing to do is to know that the cat is anemic.