Why do my two cats have severe anemia? Is it genetic or a toxin?

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.

Poor guy. Non-regenerative anemia in an older cat is always concerning. Due to the timing of all of these events however, his anemia could have very well have been caused by the medication alone. This would be considered to be an adverse reaction that would not be normal for any pet to have not can be predicted. But with that said it usually is a regenerative anemia when medication is the cause. A closer look at his bloodwork could help clarify this. Other possible causes that are common in older cats are: feline leukemia/feline aids or cancer unfortunately. Typically with all of these you will also get some changes with the white blood cell count levels as well and often-times a fever. Overall the prognosis would be guarded to poor considering your pets age and the fact that the anemia is non- regenerative. I am so sorry to be bearer of bad news here. If you wish to share more information about your pets specific bloodwork results and also physical exam findings (i.e. temperature, body condition score, etc), then you can request a private consultation with one of the experts here on the site. Best of luck moving forward with your vets treatment plan for Puddy and I do hope that he is able to stabilize soon. Take care.

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.

Hi and thank you for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry Ickle is having these issues- sounds like there is a lot going on with him.. It is hard to say what exactly is causing Ickle's symptoms without examining him first, but these symptoms could point to advanced stage kidney disease which is very common in cats and can cause lethargy, anemia, and inappetence as toxins that should be normally filtered by the kidneys build up in the body. Kidneys make a substance that stimulated red blood cell production so when the kidney function in compromised, this substance is not made as much as can cause anemia. Another possibility may be liver disease or certain cancers. A simple blood test can be determine what organ(s) are not functioning well so the appropriate treatments can be given. Best of luck to you and Ickle!

The amount of time it takes for an animal to recover from anemia depends on the cause. There are multiple types of anemia and many causes of anemia. Infection, decreased production, destruction and hemorrhage. Diagnosis of anemia can sometimes be a bit tricky. However, that being said I would at least check for some of the most common infectious diseases that lead to anemia. There are infectious disease blood panels I can be sent out to the laboratory that test for a multitude of infectious organisms that can potentially cause anemia. If an abdominal ultrasound has not been performed, I would consider having this done as part of a full workup as well as a urinalysis. Without seeing her for an examination and not having the blood work in front of me, it is difficult to guide you in the exact direction that you should go. These are just some suggestions four cases that I commonly see. A reticulocyte count may also help in ruling out causes. A reticulocyte count tells us if the anemia is regenerative or non regenerative which helps us rule out certain causes of the anemia. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me with any other questions or concerns that you may have. If you would like to talk more in detail about her case so that I may look at blood work and other lab results I am available via text or phone console if needed.

No, that is very unlikely. A severe infestation of fleas can cause anemia, and if Corbin had a number of fleas prior to using the flea and tick treatments that could lead to the anemia. Anemia can also be caused by kidney failure and cancer, both of which are unfortunately common in senior cats. I would have Corbin seen by a vet for a physical exam, geriatric blood panel, complete blood count, and urinalysis. The cause of the anemia needs to be diagnosed so he can be treated.

Oh no, I'm so sorry that both of your cats have died recently! You are correct that they could have gotten into something toxic causing their symptoms, but unfortunately without seeing them in person, I can't say what that toxin might be. You could take their bodies into a vet for a necropsy (an autopsy for cats) which may give you some answers. If it's too late to take them in because you've already buried them, then I recommend looking out for similar symptoms in any other cats you may have at home. Should you see those symptoms again, rush them into a vet immediately for treatment. Again, I'm so sorry for your loss :-(