Why does my cat keep getting anemia and low red blood cell counts?

Hi there. Unfortunately, it's not likely that liver or any other food will make much difference in his red blood cell count. Anemia in chronic kidney disease is due to the body not producing erythropoietin, which is the hormone that drives the production of new red blood cells. This type of anemia can be treated with erythropoeitin injections, so I would recommend talking to your veterinarian about this option. I have had several kitties with chronic kidney problems and anemia who responded well to this treatment.

I am so sorry for your loss. I don’t see your kitty’s age, but if he/she was older, I would be most suspicious that he/she had cancer somewhere. Even though FeLV negative, it’s still possible that cancer developed in her bone marrow due to an unknown cause. (Which unfortunately is usually the case with cancer). When all of the blood cells are low, primary bone marrow disease (cancer, immune mediated disease) may be to blame. It’s also possible that there was cancer elsewhere and the bone marrow stopped working due to either spread of the disease or because of what we call a “paraneoplastic syndrome”, which is just a fancy way to say that unfortunately cancer sometimes does whatever it wants. I am so sorry again for your heartache. It sounds like you did everything you could have for your cat. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Please let us know if we can help you further.

My concerns are that Kim has a high white blood count (indicating possible infection or immune mediated infection) and REALLY low hematocrit of 12%. The hematocrit is the percentage of red blood cells in the body. Usually when it is that low, the animal needs a blood transfusion. Granted I didn't do the exam on him so I would call your vet to discuss if this is needed, as well as additional diagnostics or medicines. I would also talk to them about whethe he needs to be hospitalized in a 24 hour care until he is more stable as he sounds very sick. I hope this helps and he starts to feel better really soon.

Ouch poor Harry. Low PCV could be from a number of things including immune-mediated anemias, lack of blood cell production or as you checked, problems with the kidneys and erythropoetin production. If the kidneys seem functional looking toward issues that would cause auto-cell destruction may be the next step as well as possible transfusion or injection of EPO to stimulate red cell production. Checking for parasitic anemia and high parasite load may also give clues to the low PCV value. Panleukopenia, FIV and FeLV can also cause low PCV as part of the disease process. Ruling out an internal bleed somewhere may also help narrow down the cause.

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your question about Mittens. First off, I am very sorry you lost her so suddenly, please accept my condolences for your loss. Without seeing her in person, I can't say what happened but I can only give my best guess. If her red blood cells were so low, it could be she had non-regenerative anemia. When anemia is non-regenerative, the bone marrow response is inadequate when compared to the increased need. Cats who become anemic quickly can die from the sudden loss in red blood cells and oxygen. That could be why she passed away so quickly. Non-regenerative anemia can be caused by things like an infection such as FIV or feline leukemia, exposure to toxins, and lead poisoning. The vet who treated her may have a better idea as to what caused her to die so suddenly, and I would speak with that vet so you can hopefully get some more answers. I hope this helps somewhat, and again I'm sorry for your loss.

Sorry to hear that Stella Rose has a low blood count. A red blood cell count of 21 means that she is anemic. This could be because she isn't making RBC's or it could mean that she's losing them (from bleeding somewhere or her body destroying them). If she also has a bloated stomach one of my first concerns would be intestinal parasites. Other things to consider would be diseases such as FIP or other blood borne diseases. Hopefully she gets better soon!

An RBC of 7 is seriously low. It will take quite some time (around three weeks to get a normal RBC count) for your kitty to make new blood, so it is important that it eats and drinks. I would actually feed it canned food only, and even add some minced beef (hamburger) to it to make sure it has enough iron and moisture to make new blood. He should get a little bit better every day. Such severe anemia weakened your kitty and that is why he is so lethargic.