Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Eye problems in cats with anemia and low platelets
By Frejlich, Moranne et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2025·Centre Hospitalier Veterinaire Fregis, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence of ocular lesions in cats with anaemia and thrombocytopenia.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old domestic shorthair cat was brought in with pale gums and unusual bruising, which indicated anemia (low red blood cells) and thrombocytopenia (low platelets). During the examination, the vet found that the cat had significant eye problems, including bleeding in the retina. The study showed that cats with both anemia and thrombocytopenia had a much higher chance of having serious eye issues compared to healthy cats. It's important for any cat showing signs of these conditions to have a thorough eye exam, as early detection can help manage potential complications.
People also search for: cat eye problems anemia · cat bruising low platelets · cat bleeding in eyes treatment
Abstract
ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the association of anaemia and thrombocytopenia with the presence and severity of ocular lesions in cats.MethodsCats were prospectively recruited into four groups in this cross-sectional study: anaemic (A) (haematocrit level ⩽24%, n = 20), thrombocytopenic (T) (platelet count of ⩽200 × 10/l, n = 10), anaemic and thrombocytopenic (AT) (n = 33) and healthy controls (C) (n = 20). All cats underwent a comprehensive ophthalmic examination, with lesions classified as absent, minor (isolated retinal haemorrhages) or major (diffuse retinal haemorrhages, hyphaema or intravitreal bleeding). Signalment, clinical signs, diagnostic test results and final diagnoses were collected from the medical records.ResultsOcular lesion prevalence was 20%, 10%, 48% and 0% in the A, T, AT and C groups, respectively. Among affected cats, minor and major lesions occurred in 67% and 33% of cases, respectively. All major lesions were observed in groups T and AT. Anaemia and thrombocytopenia were significantly associated with both the presence ( = .001, = .002) and severity (<.001, = .006) of ocular lesions. A haematocrit value of ≤18.5% had a sensitivity of 91% and specificity of 58% for detecting ocular lesions.Conclusions and relevanceAnaemia and thrombocytopenia were significantly associated with the presence and severity of ocular lesions in cats in this study. Cats with concurrent anaemia and thrombocytopenia exhibited a higher prevalence of ocular lesions than those with either condition alone. This finding warrants further investigation into potential underlying mechanisms. Based on these results, any cat presenting with anaemia or thrombocytopenia should undergo a complete ophthalmic examination.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41157811/