Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with severe anemia and low platelets recovers after treatment
By Suwa, Akihisa·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2025·Suwa Animal Hospital, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pure red cell aplasia and amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 14-year-old male mixed-breed cat was brought in for weight loss and nasal congestion, and further tests revealed he had severe anemia and a low platelet count. The vet found that he was positive for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), which contributed to his condition. After diagnosing him with pure red cell aplasia (a type of anemia) and amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (low platelet production), the cat was treated with corticosteroids. Thankfully, he showed significant improvement, and follow-up tests indicated that his bone marrow was producing healthy blood cells again. Remarkably, he remained healthy without medication for over a year.
People also search for: cat weight loss and nasal congestion · cat anemia treatment · FIV cat care · corticosteroids for cat anemia · cat low platelet count symptoms
Abstract
A 14-year-old, castrated male mixed-breed cat presented with weight loss and rhinitis for several months and was referred due to anemia and thrombocytopenia. A complete blood cell count (CBC) revealed severe non-regenerative anemia (hematocrit (HCT), 9.7%) and thrombocytopenia (0 /μL). Serology was positive for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) antibodies. Bone marrow aspiration showed moderate myeloid hyperplasia, severe erythroid hypoplasia, and megakaryocytic hypoplasia. The cat was diagnosed with pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) and amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (AMT) and treated with corticosteroids, leading to recovery. On day 242, bone marrow aspirates showed erythroid and megakaryocytic cell production. By day 600, both diseases had not recurred without medication. This is the documented case of concurrent PRCA and AMT in an FIV-infected cat.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40754415/