Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Immune low platelets and neutrophils in young Maine Coon cat
By Best, M P & Fry, D R·Published in Australian veterinary journal·2014·Brisbane Veterinary Specialist Centre, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Primary immune-mediated thrombocytopenia and immune-mediated neutropenia suspected in a 21-week-old Maine Coon cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 21-week-old Maine Coon cat was brought in with sudden bleeding problems and low blood cell counts. The vet found that the cat had a serious drop in platelets and white blood cells but didn't find any underlying diseases or triggers. After starting treatment with a strong steroid called prednisolone, the cat's blood cell counts improved quickly, although there was a slight relapse when the dose was reduced. The vet was able to manage this by increasing the medication again, leading to a good recovery.
People also search for: Maine Coon cat bleeding problems · cat low platelet count treatment · immune-mediated disease in cats
Abstract
CASE REPORT: A 21-week-old Maine Coon cat presented with an acute-onset coagulopathy. Severe concurrent thrombocytopenia and neutropenia were identified on peripheral blood smears and bone marrow cytology supported a peripheral consumptive process. Other than mild superficial haemorrhage, the cat was clinically well and screening for retroviral diseases, abdominal ultrasound examination, thoracic radiography, haematology and biochemistry panels did not identify an underlying disease. There was no historical pharmaceutical or toxicological trigger noted and the cat was from an area without endemic Ehrlichia spp. There was a rapid resolution of both cytopenias following treatment with immunosuppressive doses of prednisolone, though a mild relapse occurred during gradual prednisolone withdrawal and was responsive to a dose increase. CONCLUSIONS: This report describes this combination of diseases for the first time in a cat and presents a younger patient than previously described with feline primary immune-mediated haematological disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24964834/