Re: Smokey's blood results

[Lernermichelle]

The only one of those results that I know the standards for is the hematocrit. 15 is very low-- normal is, like with humans, around 30-35.  So 15 is quite low, but it is not so low that it is untreatable. They would not even give Simon a transfusion until he went below 13.  I would get her to an internist quickly though, and retest her soon, because she may need a transfusion soon to hold her over while you  get a diagnosis and consider treatment options, if that is what you want to do.   I should tell you this-- we on this site often get very adamant about doing testing and finding the root of the problem, because there are sometimes things that really help and give them extra months or years. But it is also true that when FeLV+ cats get this anemic, there is often no long-term fix.  Because there sometimes is, and because even when there isn't they can often have several more good months with treatment, I am in favor of getting a diagnosis and tgrying treatments when possible. But I also do not want to get your hopes up so much that you think an internist will definitely be able to save her. You need to realize it is probably a less than 50% chance that her anemia can be successfully treated for more than a few months, but that there is a chance.  At least one person on this site had a cat with pretty bad anemia cured from depomedrol steroid shots (it was an auto-immune mediated anemia); at least one had a cat's kidney-induced anemia controlled for years with Epogen; and at least one has had hemobartonella-induced anemia cured or held in check. And as I said, Simon got a couple more months from treatment of advanced lymphoma-mediated anemia.  So that is what I go by.  But you need to realize it is probably the exception at this point rather than the norm to have it totally cured or get anything more than a month or two.   Michelle