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For those caring for their felines who have non regenerative anemia - please post your stories and caring tips
- Thread starter missbliss
- Start Date
I am the care taker of a feline colony, they were about 25 cats at the time of the story I'm going to tell you.
In the summer 2019, I noticed that one of the cats in the colony was getting thinner and her eyes were squint, it was clear she wasn't feeling good. She wasn't eating much either, but it was a hot summer, so I thought she was feeling the heat.
But when the season ended, she was even worse, so I managed to trap her (she was feral and wouldn't allow me to touch or get close to her) and take her to the vets. They saw that her temperature was very low (35°C / 95°F) and her blood looked like water. Her CBC showed that all numbers were low, the RBC and Hematocrit were close to null, the vet advised me about putting her to sleep.
I rejected the idea, because we didn't even know what she had, so I asked the vets to run all possible tests and scans to understand what the disease was, and after some days they told me the cat was suffering from a non-regenerative anemia. We could have tried with a therapy, but the chances of success were low.
We started right away, the cat responded well, and after some days her RBC started to increase. When the numbers were alright we started to wean her off the meds, but we saw that the RBC was getting low again. We repeated this cycle for a few times, until, nearly a year later, her levels got stable and right now this cat is still fine and healthy, and I guess she weighs at least 5 lbs more than she was when I rescued her.
The therapy was Prednicortone only, everyday, for weeks, with moments when we weaned her off it for a while and then again.
I'm still making fun of the vets when I tell them that the cat they wanted to PTS is still alive
This picture shows the cat when she was healthy, and a few days before I rescued her. Now she's back to how she was when she was fine
In the summer 2019, I noticed that one of the cats in the colony was getting thinner and her eyes were squint, it was clear she wasn't feeling good. She wasn't eating much either, but it was a hot summer, so I thought she was feeling the heat.
But when the season ended, she was even worse, so I managed to trap her (she was feral and wouldn't allow me to touch or get close to her) and take her to the vets. They saw that her temperature was very low (35°C / 95°F) and her blood looked like water. Her CBC showed that all numbers were low, the RBC and Hematocrit were close to null, the vet advised me about putting her to sleep.
I rejected the idea, because we didn't even know what she had, so I asked the vets to run all possible tests and scans to understand what the disease was, and after some days they told me the cat was suffering from a non-regenerative anemia. We could have tried with a therapy, but the chances of success were low.
We started right away, the cat responded well, and after some days her RBC started to increase. When the numbers were alright we started to wean her off the meds, but we saw that the RBC was getting low again. We repeated this cycle for a few times, until, nearly a year later, her levels got stable and right now this cat is still fine and healthy, and I guess she weighs at least 5 lbs more than she was when I rescued her.
The therapy was Prednicortone only, everyday, for weeks, with moments when we weaned her off it for a while and then again.
I'm still making fun of the vets when I tell them that the cat they wanted to PTS is still alive
This picture shows the cat when she was healthy, and a few days before I rescued her. Now she's back to how she was when she was fine
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
Thank you for sharing. The treatment was prednisone only? How do you manage to test and re-test her and administer to her the medications? Also do you know the cause for the anemia? Was anything ruled out and anything determined being the cause?
My cats have leukemia and their WBC count can get down to very dangerous levels and they get very anemic too. I just try to get them to take a few licks of Delectable Lickables in the stew flavors, and pray to get them through 30 days when their bone marrow can make more cells, no matter how few. If the cat is still alive, the bone marrow is still functioning somewhat and the kidneys are still sending out hormones, so THAT is hopeful. I started them on DMG and LifeGold both supplements for immune health and against cancers. They are still alive 3 years later after being given 'days' to live. I have since found out that if a cat is older, over a year, sometimes they can fight back and live longer than the vet thinks......
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #5
It was prednisolone, not prednisone.
The cat was put at the local shelter, where the staff was able to pill her daily in her food. When the cat was due for re-testing, I would take her in to the clinic, and then back to the shelter.
The cause for the anemia was never assessed, but we believe it was genetic. Another cat from the same colony died from the same disease, but in his case we were a bit too late, he died in a few days since the first symptoms. We were waiting for a blood donor, but he didn't make it.
Both cats were Type B blood, and other cats from the same colony (including mine at home) are Type B. It is possible that this genetic condition brought blood type and anemia together.
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #7
The DMG is a supplement to build up their immune system. When the blood is that low on white or red blood cells, any little illness could kill them. The LifeGold is a supplement for cancers. Blood, or of the marrow where the blood cells are made, any kind of cancer. You first have to find out WHY your cat is having the problems, if it is cancer, genetic, inherited, etc. and what kind. All I know is my cats were supposed to be dead, and they are still with me three years later!
