Blood Problems

Some problems with circulation have external causes.

If a cat does not eat, there is little water in the large intestines to be absorbed to maintain plasma levels, so water is drawn from elsewhere in the body, causing dehydration.

In anemia, the level of red blood cells falls, to be corrected by the bone marrow producing new cells.

Heavy flea infestation, injury, stomach ulcers, or tumors can cause temporary anemia. Illness can inhibit the production of new cells.

Such nonregenerative anemia is often caused by feline leukemia virus (FeLV), kidney failure, nutritional deficiency, or poisoning.

Hemolytic anemias, resulting from the destruction of red blood cells, may be caused by the blood parasite Hemobartonella felis, or by acetaminophen, the active ingredient in many nonaspirin painkillers.

Aspirin in excess can cause fatal bleeding. The bleeding disorder hemophilia is rare in cats.

Cats do not develop hardening of the arteries but may develop diseases of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy) or valves (valvular disease) or disruption of the heart's rate (arrhythmias).

They can suffer blood clots (thromboembolisms), causing pain and paralysis to the hind limbs.