Bleeding Disorders in Cats
If severe enough can be life threatening



Bleeding disorders in cats can be a very minor issue or it can be a life threatening situation that may develop very rapidly in your pet.

The actual severity of this situation will depend on where the bleeding has or is occurring, as well as the amount of blood that is involved.

Most all cases of bleeding disorders are the result of their blood not clotting properly.

There will be several types of bleeding that occurs in your cat and some of them will be very obvious, but other cases may be extremely hard to actually spot and identify.

Nose bleeds or any type of an injury that has caused a cut or an abrasion in your pet will be very obvious.

If the bleeding is in your cat’s intestines, under their skin, or in any of their body cavities, they may be almost impossible to identify as an owner.

However, any time that your cat has any type of bleeding or the symptoms it should be taken seriously.

They include dark tarry stools or small blood spots in the eyes or gums that have no apparent injury, it should be treated very seriously as it could spread rapidly throughout their body.

SYMPTOMS OF BLEEDING DISORDERS IN CATS

There are several symptoms that you can watch for with bleeding disorders in cats other than just the obvious signs of superficial bleeding from a known injury or abrasion.

The first symptom to watch for will be bleeding that you can visibly see, even if it is very slight, that has no real or apparent source.

Beautiful catsWatch your cats gums and eyes

You can also watch for bruises that suddenly start to appear on your cat as they can occur anywhere on their body.

But there are two very distinctive symptoms that you need watch for that will signal that there may be something very seriously wrong with your cat.

The first will be very small red spots on your cat’s gums or on the whites of their eyes.

These spots are obviously not normal and are a signal to you that your cat may have inflammation in their blood vessels.

The second distinctive sign of bleeding disorders in cats will be pale gums.

Pale gums are almost always associated with the beginning signs of anemia or the lack of oxygen.

It also signifies that something is either wrong with your cat’s blood or they are losing blood somewhere.

THE POTENTIAL CAUSES

There can be a myriad of causes of bleeding disorders in cats and why your cat may be bleeding for unknown reasons, and none of them will be good.

Coagulation in your cat’s blood is the result of a series of events that must take place in order for their blood to properly clot.

Under normal circumstances, your cat’s endothelium, which is the lining of the blood vessels, sends out a single that it has been damaged.

Once this signal has been received, your cat’s immune system sends platelets to fill in the damaged vessels.

The final step in the process is the system sending a liquid substance called fibrin that helps the platelets form a very sticky like substance.

It helps as it completely fills the vessels damaged areas and stops the bleeding.

Your cat has a very large reserve of platelets that can be called upon as needed.

However, if something goes wrong and diminishes this reserve or interrupts the process, your cat will start to bleed.

Thrombocytopenia is a condition where the platelets in your cat start to decrease.

As a result of this, it places your cat in a situation where the system may not be able to adequately supply what is needed.

The cause of this decrease is almost always the result of an autoimmune deficiency.

This is a situation where your cat’s immune system has over reacted to an invasion of germs and by mistake attacks its own cells.

The platelets in your cat are made inside of the bone marrow and an infection or cancer could also cause this reaction.

Thrombocytopathia is a condition that is very closing related except it causes the platelets not to function properly.

ASPIRIN CAN BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS

This can be result of giving your cat too much aspirin, or it can be caused by a kidney failure.

If both of these conditions are present in your cat at the same time, they are in serious trouble.

The next possible cause of bleeding disorders in cats is Vasculitis, which is an inflammation of your cat’s blood vessels.

As the vessels become damaged, they start to leak and will appear as the red spots in your cat’s eyes or on their gums.

It is also believed to be caused by immune mediated attacks by your cats own system.

Von Willebrand’s disease, another cause of bleeding disorders in cats is often referred to as the bleeding disease, can also be the cause.

This is a hereditary disease that causes a deficiency of the substance that allows the platelets in your cat’s blood to stick to the vessels.

If your cat has this disease, they are called bleeders.

There are also two other possible causes of bleeding disorders in cats; Coagulation factor deficiency and factor defects.

Coagulation factor deficiency directly affects the fibrin and because of this interruption, it is not sent by the immune system to help seal the vessels and the healing cannot be done.

If this situation is hereditary, it is called hemophilia.

It is almost always caused by a liver failure in your cat.

Coagulation defects are almost always the results or warfarin or a like substances that are used in mice and rat poison.

It is designed to stop blood form coagulating by rendering the function of Vitamin K useless. It is extremely effective at this and can be a severe threat to your cat.

Summary

Treatment for bleeding disorders in cats will all depend on the underlying cause of the lack of coagulation.

If your cat has lost a lot of blood, a transfusion will be needed of either red blood cells or whole blood that includes plasma.

If the cause of the bleeding is that lack of platelets, treatments are usually with corticosteroids, as transfusions of platelets are very ineffective.

Vitamin K will also be given in most every case with or without a transfusion and using it daily supplement program will help protect them from bleeding disorders in cats.

Pet Medications for Bleeding Disorders in Cats

Cat Vitamin Store

More About Immune & Blood Issues in Cats:

Bruising in Cats

Feline bruising is not a normal condition and should be treated as seriously as panting or coughing.

Cats Immune Systems

If your cat’s immune system becomes weakened, every body system and function is placed at risk.

Cyanosis in Cats

The central form is the most dangerous as their entire blood supply is being de-saturated of its oxygen as it spreads.

Epistaxis in Cats

Can be caused by a very sudden event referred to as acute, or it can be caused by an underlying condition.

Immune Deficiency

FIV, also known as feline immune deficiency virus, can be helped tremendously by building your cat’s immune system.

Infectious Anemia

Is a very dangerous disease that can cause severe weakness in your cat, a very sudden onset of anorexia, as well as anemia.

Leukemia in Cats

Is perhaps better known as feline leukemia virus, or FeLV, and is a viral disease that affects all breeds and attacks their immune system.

Hematemesis in Cats

Will produce several symptoms in your cat with the most obvious being blood in their vomit.

Hypercalcemia

Is a condition where there is an abnormally high concentration of calcium in your cat’s blood.

Hypotension in Cats

Is low blood pressure and understanding their normal ranges of pressure is very helpful in catching this very dangerous condition.

Icterus in Cats

If your cat begins to develop any signs of yellow tints in the gums or membranes, they most likely have jaundice, also known as icterus.

Iron Deficiency in Cats

Is especially dangerous during pregnancy and can have severe impacts on the litter if the mother does not receive enough iron.

Syncope in Cats

This condition is a lack of either blood flow or oxygen to your cat’s brain and the result is a fainting spell.

Thrombocytopenia

Is a blood disorder that is characterized by an abnormally low number of platelets that are circulating in your cat’s bloodstream.