Kitten weak after flea anemia & transfusion. Is this normal recovery?

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.

Pets that are anemic have a decreased ability to oxygenate their body, since red blood cells carry oxygen. While some increased respiratory rate is expected, it has me very concerned. Oxygen therapy will help to make sure that every red blood cell is filled with as much oxygen as possible. I would recommend discussing this with the vet and inquire about oxygen therapy and continued hospitalization.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sometimes it can take some time for cats to recover from anesthesia and administration of these medications together so that could be a reason why it has been taking him longer than expected to recover. If he is eating and otherwise doing well, it may be ok to monitor him for a bit longer. However, if he worsens or by tomorrow he has not improved, he should be evaluated by his veterinarian for reevaluation. Good luck and have a great day!

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.

In severe cases, animals require blood transfusions while their bone marrow regenerates red blood cells. Other times, depending on severity, the animal can get by without a transfusion. Red blood cell regeneration can take 5-7 days so it is best to recheck his PCV in a week.

I am sorry to hear Stevie is not feeling well. Some gastrointestinal parasites drink blood through the intestinal wall. This will cause a patient to be anemic. However the level of anemia is important to know. IF the red blood cell count gets low enough a patient might need a blood transfusion or could pass away from this. If the red blood cell count is only slightly low and the parasites are treated over time (maybe a few weeks) the patient will recover and the anemia will resolve. I hope that helps

Considering she is pretty sick and needs time to recuperate from freezing, worms, ear mites and missing her mommy and siblings, a lower energy level is expected and quite normal. Give her time. Let her sleep as much as she needs to. Feed her canned kitten food, which is easier for her to eat than dry kitten food. Eventually she will be a wild child!