Cat Anemia and Weight Loss

My cat, Potsey, has faded to a skeleton in the past few months and has pale gums and 1/2 the red blood cells. He might be licking at ashes around the fireplace for minerals. He still eats and drinks, so I don't know how long he'll last. Marrow testing and transfusions sound expensive. He's at least 14 and down to 6.5 pounds.

He had a secondary infection in his eyes about five years ago and maybe he's always been vulnerable.

Could it have made things worse for him to switch to urinary tract food for the other cats a couple years ago? And how long might he drag on in this condition? So far, I'm just switching to a canned fish cat food.


Veterinarian Suggestion on Treating Cat Anemia


Hi there,

I don’t think the change in your cat’s diet is responsible for his current condition. Unfortunately, the list of potential causes for his symptoms is very long. You did not mention what type of diagnostic testing has been done, but I assume he has at least had some blood work since you know he is anemic. Has he been tested for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)? These are both common causes of weight loss and anemia in cats. A simple and inexpensive test that requires only a few drops of blood is available that could diagnose or rule out these conditions.

If your cat were my patient, this is where I would start his work up.

I’m afraid I can’t give you much of an idea as to what your cat’s prognosis and life expectancy might be since this is completely dependent on which disease is responsible for his illness.



Best of luck,

Jennifer Coates, DVM