Anaemia is the commonest encounted in feline patients because cats are particularly prone to developing anaemia due to the shorter life span (70 days) of the feline red blood cells and the lower blood volume of cats compared with other species.However cats have different type of haemoglobin that's makes them to tolerate anaemia with relative ease,particularly chronic anaemia, indeed they develop anaemia when the condition is severe.
Anaemia results in reduced oxygenation of the kidneys, which in turn stimulates erythropoietin (EPO) release, which in turn stimulates the bone marrow to increase red blood cells(RBC) production.This new RBC production indicates an appropriate regenerative response in the bone marrow resulting in a regenerative anaemia.
Regenerative anaemia arise due to blood loss or haemolysis.If the bone marrow response is inappropriate a non regenerative anaemia will result.Most of anaemia in cats are non-regenerative in type.
Possible clinical signs
- Pallor
- Lethargy/weakness
- Jaundice seen with acute severe haemolysis or concurrent liver disease
- Fever may indicate an infectious cause such as Mycoplasma haemofelis infection.
- Pica is occassionally reported
- Spleenomegally and possibly hepatomegally may be evident,reflecting extramedullary haematopoiesis,red blood cells sequenstration or haemolytic activity.