Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Severe anemia and jaundice in a Somali cat from Australia
By Mansfield, C S & Clark, P·Published in Australian veterinary journal·2005·School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pyruvate kinase deficiency in a Somali cat in Australia.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old neutered male Somali cat in Australia was brought in because he had jaundice (yellowing of the skin) and severe anemia (low red blood cell count). The vet found that his spleen and liver were enlarged, and tests showed he had liver problems and a low white blood cell count. Although treatment for a liver infection helped with the jaundice, it didn't improve the anemia. Genetic testing revealed he had pyruvate kinase deficiency, a rare condition in cats, and attempts to treat it with immunosuppressive medication were unsuccessful.
People also search for: Somali cat jaundice treatment · cat anemia causes · pyruvate kinase deficiency in cats
Abstract
A 7-year-old neutered male Somali cat, bred in Western Australia, was presented for investigation of jaundice and severe anaemia. Splenomegaly and hepatomegaly were evident on physical examination. Severe anaemia, along with leukopenia and increased liver enzymes, were present on laboratory evaluation. Clinical investigation identified cholangitis and treatment for this resolved the jaundice but failed to resolve the anaemia. Treatment for Mycoplamsa haemofelis was administered concurrently. Genetic testing was then performed and pyruvate kinase deficiency was identified, the first time this has been reported in an Australian cat. Treatment with immunosuppressive medication was not successful.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16119420/