| Thrombocytopenia in cats can cause spontaneous | | | | These symptoms will than be followed by your cat |
| bleeding to occur and it can modulate from moderate | | | | suddenly bruising very easily and this is a real warning |
| to severe. It can cause small red spots to suddenly | | | | sign as cats hardly even bruise. Once this occurs, |
| appear on your cats eyes or their lips as well as nose | | | | your cat will soon develop Epistaxis, which is nose |
| bleeds that may be very mild at first, but can easily | | | | bleeds. If it is advanced, you will also see blood both |
| develop into a serious situation. If this condition | | | | in their urine and their stools. |
| becomes severe enough, you may see blood in both | | | | Causes: |
| the urine and the stool of your cat. | | | | There are several potential causes of |
| If this condition does become severe, it can also | | | | thrombocytopenia but it is very important to |
| result in severe bruising and bleeding that can | | | | understand that this condition can be the result of a |
| threaten your cats life very quickly. It can be an | | | | loss of platelet count in your pet, or the malfunction |
| inherited or an acquired condition and it affects all | | | | of the platelets in performing their assigned tasks. |
| breeds and age groups. | | | | The actual cause may be an inherited or acquired. |
| Thrombocytopenia is a blood disorder that is | | | | Perhaps the most common cause of |
| characterized by an abnormally low number of | | | | thrombocytopenia is actually brought on by the |
| platelets that are circulating in your cats bloodstream. | | | | owner, although it certainly will not be intentional, and |
| This can be a very dangerous situation in your cat as | | | | that is giving your cat aspirin. Aspirin is one of the |
| these platelets play a critical role in the process of | | | | most toxic agents that you can give your cat and |
| coagulation or blood clotting as well as plugging any | | | | you should never give any dosage, including children's |
| damaged blood vessels. | | | | aspirin to your cat. Other acquired conditions will |
| To fully understand the role of platelets, it is helpful | | | | include failures of your cats organs, especially the |
| to understand exactly how they operate in your cat. | | | | kidney or liver, as any of these conditions will cause |
| A normal cat has over 600,000 platelets per | | | | the counts to lower dramatically. |
| micro-liter of blood. A micro-liter is an extremely low | | | | Causes of the platelets not operating properly will |
| measurement as it is only about one millionth of a | | | | include your cats bone marrow not producing |
| quart in actual measurement. They are irregular disc | | | | properly, or an immune system malfunction where |
| shaped fragments of large cells that are called | | | | your cats own system is destroying the platelets |
| megakaryocytes and are found in the bone marrow | | | | thinking they are actually attacking the system. Other |
| of your cat. They are the smallest cellular shaped | | | | causes include a consumption of the platelets faster |
| structures in the blood and act very quickly when the | | | | than the bone marrow can produce them. |
| blood vessel is damaged. | | | | Similar Conditions: |
| When damage does occur and they are operating | | | | There are several other conditions that may affect |
| properly, they will naturally group together at the site | | | | your cat that are very similar to Thrombocytopenia |
| where the damage has happened and form a plug | | | | and in many cases, can actually trigger it. Vasculitis is |
| like shape that immediately stops the bleeding. The | | | | an inflammatory disease of the blood vessels that |
| average life span of platelets in your cats system is | | | | cause very small defects in the lining of the vessels |
| only between five and ten days, as and a result, it is | | | | and as a result, leakage occurs. Once the leakage |
| critical to your cats health that they are constantly | | | | happens, your cats platelets will rush in to plug these |
| being replaced. | | | | leaks and it can cause the platelets to be utilized as a |
| However, if the platelets are not being replaced or | | | | rate much faster than they can be produced, causing |
| for some reason do not function properly, any type | | | | thrombocytopenia. |
| of an injury either internally or externally in your cat is | | | | Hemophilia is also very similar condition and this is |
| now putting your pet at a tremendous risk. | | | | where there is an insufficient quantity of coagulation |
| Thrombocytopenia in your cat does not always result | | | | proteins being produced. The most common cause of |
| in bleeding; but it will cause your pet to become | | | | this condition is any type of liver failure. |
| weak. When examined, the low platelet count will | | | | If your cat ingests Warfarin, or rodent poison, it will |
| show up and identify an underlying disease that is | | | | also simulate this condition as it very rapidly destroys |
| either forming in your cat, or has already developed. | | | | the platelets. It is designed to do this and it is very |
| For this condition to become severe, your cats | | | | effective in what it does. It stops your cats ability to |
| platelet count has to fall below 40,000 which sound | | | | metabolize vitamin K to such an extent that |
| like a drop from 600,000, until you realize how small | | | | coagulation proteins can not be activated at all. |
| they are and how long they actually last in your cats | | | | Summary: |
| system. | | | | Thrombocytopenia in cats can be successfully |
| Symptoms: | | | | treated, but the key will be how successful you are |
| There are not a lot of symptoms that identify this | | | | at catching it very early so your veterinarian can |
| condition, but the symptoms that do surface will be | | | | properly treat what ever the actual cause is. In |
| very easy to spot and will be severe enough that it | | | | severe cases, it may require a blood transfusion, but |
| will help to identify that something is wrong with your | | | | this is not always effective and is also very |
| cat. | | | | expensive unless you have pet insurance. |
| The first signs are usually very small red spots that | | | | In the majority of cases, antibiotics are used for |
| will develop in your cats sclera, which are the white | | | | infectious diseases, and Corticosteroids are used for |
| parts of their eyes. These signs will almost always be | | | | immune mediated diseases where your cats system |
| accompanied by spots showing up on the gums. | | | | is attacking itself. Both treatments have produced |
| However, if it is severe enough, you may see spots | | | | successful results, although Corticosteroids do have |
| also start to appear on their skin in several areas. | | | | potential side affects. |