Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with severe anemia linked to hemotropic mycoplasma infection
By M. Duin et al.·Published in Vlaams dierengeneeskundig tijdschrift·2009·View original on Semantic Scholar →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Hemotropic mycoplasmas in cats Part 2: case report
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
An eight-month-old cat was brought in because it was very weak and had severe anemia, meaning it didn't have enough red blood cells. Tests showed that the cat had a condition called pure red cell aplasia, which can be caused by immune issues. The vet found evidence of a specific infection that might have contributed to the cat's anemia. After receiving multiple blood transfusions, antibiotics, and a long course of a steroid medication called prednisolone, the cat made a full recovery and showed no signs of relapse even 20 months after stopping treatment.
People also search for: cat anemia treatment · why is my cat weak · pure red cell aplasia in cats · cat blood transfusion recovery · Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum infection
Abstract
An eight-month-old apathic cat was referred to the Department of Medicine and Clinical Biology of Small Animals of the Ghent University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Merelbeke, Belgium. The cat had a severe case of non-regenerative anemia with a hematocrit of only 2.9%. Cytological examination of a bone marrow aspirate led to the diagnosis of pure red cell aplasia (PRCA). Additionally, a PCR assay for "Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum" ("Candidatus M. haemominutum") DNA was positive. Although unproven, an infection with "Candidatus M. haemominutum" could have contributed to the immune-mediated destruction of red blood cell precursors. The cat recovered completely after treatment, which consisted of multiple blood transfusions, antimicrobial agents, and long-term prednisolone therapy (10 months). There were no signs of clinical relapse at 20 months after cessation of therapy.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/ae2fb0956e887b472b27126213d54fedd97e7168