Helping Your Pets Get Through Cat Anemia
One of the most troublesome conditions that cats suffer from is cat anemia. Cat anemia occurs when there is an interruption in the bloods ability to carry oxygen due to their being too few red blood cells. This affects their circulation which in turn causes other problems.
Red blood cells carry oxygen to the organs, muscles and joints. When this process is interrupted cat anemia takes over, leaving you with a lethargic and very weak pet. Your cats may also exhibit little to no appetite as oppose to what they normally eat, so it’s important to take note of any symptoms that you see.
Cat anemia, once diagnosed will require a treatment plan so that your cat can be in good health and live a normal life. Your pet is there to enjoy you as you enjoy your pet, but cat anemia will change your pet’s life dramatically if not corrected. In order to come up with the best treatment plan for cat anemia, it’s important to determine which type of anemia they have. There are two categories of cat anemia: regenerative and non-regenerative.
The regenerative anemia is the red blood cell deficiency. When your body recognizes that this is happening, then the body works hard to crank out more red blood cells. Sometimes the regenerative anemia is caused by blood loss or possibly they have been destroyed by the immune system.
With the non-regenerative cat anemia, bone marrow is unable or cannot respond to the deficiencies present in the red blood cells. With the non-regenerative cat anemia kidney failure is a culprit. It might be worth considering finding out what cats are susceptible to kidney problems, as they may also be known for suffering from anemia. While it’s true that you could buy a breed of cat knowing what diseases they may be predisposed to, it doesn’t mean that they will be. Just know that if you are getting a particular breed that is prone to this, that you are able financially to deal with this and take care of your pet.
When Chronic Renal Failure is diagnosed in cats, the veterinarian will go over all the options with you and what you can do to help your cat not only begin feeling better, but to keep them more comfortable. The main goal of the veterinarian when it comes to kidney failure is to slow down the progression of the disease. In addition the helping fix the kidney problem, the anemia is also going to be treated. With the combination of these two treatments, you cat will begin to feel much better and live a much healthier life. If you have the time to devote to caring for your pet, then giving them some extra love and attention will go a long way.
Lastly, there is a hormone in the kidneys that tells the bone marrow to produce red blood cells. When your pet is suffering from cat anemia, the kidneys will begin to work harder by producing more of this hormone called erythropoietin. This protein is necessary so that it will trigger your bone marrow to produce more red blood cells. When there is significant kidney damage, the body cannot produce enough of the hormone to kick in the increase of the red blood cells. When this is a problem, the cat anemia will worsen.
Most cases of the non-regenerative anemia do involve failure of the kidneys. The diagnosis is made by the veterinarian doing a blood count. The only way to know that the red blood count is low is to take a look. The vet will usually take a full blood count to ensure they know the percentage of red blood cells that have been compromised. This is when the veterinarian can take action and forms a treatment plan that you and your cat can live with.