Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Blood transfusions for anemia in cats from 1997 to 2000
By Castellanos, Ivanov et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2004·Department of Veterinary, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Clinical use of blood products in cats: a retrospective study (1997--2000).
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats received blood transfusions due to anemia, which is when their red blood cell count is too low. The most common reasons for this condition were blood loss and kidney disease. Some cats also needed transfusions of plasma to help with low protein levels or bleeding disorders, often related to liver disease. While most cats improved after receiving blood products, there were a few cases of transfusion reactions, including one serious incident when a type B cat received type A blood by mistake. Overall, blood transfusions helped many of the cats recover.
People also search for: cat anemia treatment · blood transfusion for cats · cat kidney disease symptoms · cat liver disease and bleeding · transfusion reactions in cats
Abstract
The records of the Transfusion Medicine Service of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at The Ohio State University were searched for client-owned cats that received whole blood (WB), packed red blood cells (PRBCs), or fresh frozen plasma (FFP) transfusions between December 1, 1997, and April 1, 2000. Eighty-one cats received 112 units of blood products, consisting of 49 units of WB (administered to 35 cats), 44 units of PRBCs (administered to 34 cats), and 19 units of FFP (administered to 13 cats); 10 cats received more than 1 product each. Anemia was the most common reason for transfusing RBC-containing blood products, requiring 33 units of WB (75%) and 39 units of PRBCs (80%). The 2 most common causes of anemia were blood loss (27%) and renal disease (20%). Hypoalbuminemia (n = 9) and coagulopathies (n = 6), primarily due to liver disease (n = 7), were the 2 most common reasons for cats to receive transfusions of FFP. There were no differences in increase in PCV after administration of either 1 unit of WB or 1 unit of PRBCs (P = .22). Transfusion reactions occurred in 3 cats; 2 reactions were mild febrile events, but a fatal reaction occurred when a type B cat inadvertently received type A blood.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15320592/