Ferris' bloodwork results are in...

..and they want me to bring him in for more tests in two months. That is SO not what I wanted to do! Especially since we will be moving in a month! How much stress can I put this little guy through!

His kidney & thyroid and everything else is great, HOWEVER, he is slightly anemic.

The vet said that 29 is the normal low end count and Ferris is at 27 point something which he says is unusual for such a young cat and that it should be much higher.

He said there is absolutely nothing I can do to increase it, it just means that we have to keep a close eye on his red blood cell counts. It isn't an iron deficiency like it would be in humans.

The vet says that it could be indicative of a whole number of things, and not any one in particular, so again, there is nothing to be done but test his blood again in a month or two. He mentioned retesting him for lukemia at that point.

SIGH...I hope it won't cost another $125 just for the retests!

Has anyone else ever experienced anything like this?

Oh - on the bright side, Ferris did not lose any weight, rather, they neglected to update his correct weight information. He is 11.3 pounds, not 10.1 pounds. They said they weighed him BEFORE cutting his fur off. So at least I don't have to worry that he's lost weight!

But now I'm worried about my boy!

Lots of vibes for sweetie Ferris. I don't know what might be causing his anemia I hope the re-test isn't too rough on him (and you!).

Oh sweet Ferris.... I was hoping for good news only!
I hope all the re testing doesn't stress him (and you & your checkbook!) out very much

Sending lots of good vibes and healthy ones your way

I might be for waiting until I saw that new vet and get his records transferred for them to look at first.

Originally Posted by neetanddave

I might be for waiting until I saw that new vet and get his records transferred for them to look at first.

Click to expand...

But I have to interview some new vets and between my 45 hour work week and moving to a new apartment within the next 5 weeks, I don't think I'll have the time to make a switch so soon.

And I do NOT want to just jump vets again - that just hasn't worked well for us.

Rats.

There's lots of causes for anemia in cats. There can be blood loss anemia, such as would come from flea infestation. There can be Heinz Body anemia, which can come from eating foods with onion or garlic in it. There's anemia from renal failure, where the kidneys no longer produce the hormone to stimulate the bone to produce red blood cells, called non-regenerative anemia. There's anemia that is caused by hemobartonella infection. Feline leukemia can cause anemia. And yes, cats can have iron deficient anemia, although it isn't very likely. Further testing is really necessary to pin-point the cause of the anemia, so you know what is the best way to treat it....eliminating fleas, eliminating onion/garlic in the food, supplementing vitamins or iron, antibiotics for hemobart infection, Epogen for non-regenerative anemia (if it becomes critical.)

What you can do is to start Ferris on a B complex and iron supplement, such as Pet-Tinic. I supplement Cleo with a B-complex (1/8 capsule of Jarrow B-Right) and 0.1 cc of Fer-in-Sol (baby formula iron supplement) for her low-normal hemoglobin associated with her CRF. It has helped raise her hemoglobin back into normal range. I've been supplementing her for a little over 6 months now. B complex vitamins are water soluable vitamins, so they don't accumulate and overdose. You need to be a little more careful with iron supplementation, as it can be overdosed, so I would err on the side of caution and give a smaller dose (Cleo gets 0.1 cc, every other day, and she is 11 pounds.) Iron supplementation can also cause constipation, but with Cleo's IBD, it has never been an issue with her.

Here's a great link that discusses anemia from the Merck Veterinary Manual: http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/in...e%2canemia

Good luck!

Pookie & the girls

OK, no flea problems, and no onion or garlic in his diet whatsoever. (I just rechecked the ingredients on the foods they eat.)

If he had bartonella, I think I'd know by now, based upon the scratches and slashes I've gotten from him over the last year.

The vet said there is nothing I can do and that it isn't TOO low, just that it is borderline so I'm not sure that I'd want to start supplementing just yet.

Just in case, though, where do you get the supplement, what form is it in, and how much does it cost?

Oh - I really hope that Ferris' life won't be a short one! But, if it turns out that way due to something we can't control, I know I'll have you all to support me and I can feel good knowing that his life is a good and happy one.

I'm going to stay positive, though, and just take really good care of him as I have been. He's my SO special babyboy lovebug.

Oh - and thank you for the link!

Here's an awesome page, put together by one of the CRF support site members. It describes different types of B complex vitamins, and gives links on where to purchase. I keep this bookmarked for reference. http://members.verizon.net/~vze2r6qt...s/vitaminb.htm

I use Jarrow B-Right B complex capsules (just search Google using Jarrow B right.) It's also for sale on e-Bay for a good price http://cgi.ebay.com/B-Right-Complex-...QQcmdZViewItem

Jarrow formula uses methylcobalamin for B-12, rather than cyanocobalamin. It is much easier for the body to metabolize methylcobalamin. I divide the large capsule into 1/8's and put it into empty #4 gelcaps to give to Cleo. I can also provide a link to purchase empty gelcaps for a great price if you need too! Yeah, I'm dedicated to my kitties health, lol!

If you wish to supplement iron, do a Google search for Fer-In-Sol, which is a pediatric iron supplement. I think I got mine at Walgreen's Drugstore here in town, but you can order it over the internet too. http://www.walgreens.com/store/produ...=1&id=prod3468 You will need a TB syringe to measure up 1/10 of a cc. If you decide to go that route, I have plenty of them and I can send you a couple.

Some people just use Pet-Tinic for supplementation, but it is fairly expensive compared to other forms of B complex supplementation. Cleo hated the liquid and it also delivers a lower dose, so you need more liquid to get the same results as some of the other B complex formulas. It also uses cyanocobalamin rather than methylcobalamin (I personally think methylcobalamin is a better form of B-12.) Here's a link to purchase Pet-tinic from Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Virbac-Pet-Tin.../dp/B0002YFAQI

Supplementing B complex would never hurt Ferris. As I said before, it's water soluable, so it doesn't accumulate and cause an overdose. It might be all he needs to boost his hemoglobin so that it doesn't cause any problems in the future.

I'll keep your sweet Ferris in my prayers. I know how troubling things like this can be. We just want them to be healthy and live good long lives with us!

Many vibes coming for your boy.

try this site for supplements ... I use as well as the girls stuff by this company

www.standardprocess.com