My cat is weak and breathing hard after transfusion. Is this normal?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Kitty! Anemia can cause an increased respiratory rate and effort as red blood cells are the carries of oxygen through the body. But if the breathing is loud in the nose then it is likely congestion in the nasal cavity or sinuses. An upper respiratory tract infection is usually viral in nature but we use the antibiotics to prevent secondary infections. If she is otherwise her normal self and eating I would watch her. If she isn't eating and is more lethargic then she should be rechecked right away by your vet to be sure her anemia isn't worse or that she hasn't developed pneumonia. She is a young kitten and thus very fragile. Do not wait too ling before having her examined. I wish you and Kitty the very best!

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am so sorry about little Zora. Yes, it can take some time for her body to heal. The blood transfusion probably saved her life, but now her bone marrow has to kick into high gear to replace those missing & destroyed red blood cells. It can take up to 3 weeks for her blood count to return & stay at a normal level. This does not mean she will be weak & lethargic the whole time, she should get stronger every day. Stay in close contact with your veterinarian, do not skip recheck visits, & keep her as protected as possible. Her immune system is pretty weak, not only from being so young, but from the anemia, so keep her indoors & away from any unvaccinated cats. With time, she should get well, & have a normal life. Take care & all the best for little Zora.

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.

If the anemia is from parasites then his bone marrow should make new red blood cells and the anemia will resolve with time. If he is severely anemic he could die before this can happen. If the anemia is from a viral infection or cancer then even a transfusion would be a temporary fix. You can continue to keep him warm and tempt him to eat, but if he is having trouble breathing or seems to be suffering euthanasia would be the most humane option.

If he is breathing heavy then he should be examined by a vet for a work-up. Your vet can take an x-ray to evaluate his heart and lungs to look for abnormalities that would cause him to breathe heavy. He could have an infection, heart disease, asthma, trauma from being outside, etc.

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.

This is a medical emergency - he is also very pale which indicates he is not getting sufficient oxygen around his system. This can be due to anemia, heart/lung disease or severe infection and shock. Please have him fully assessed by a vet urgently as this is immediately life threatening