FIV+ anemic
I have a roughly 9–10 month old FIV+ cat. We found him as a tiny kitten in a tree and he tested positive shortly after. Our vet said it could have been passed from his mom, but he did also have a couple wounds on his face when we found him.
Up until recently he’s been a normal, playful kitten. Over the past few weeks he started getting picky with food. He still eats treats, Churus, shredded chicken, and will pick at his regular food, but definitely not like he used to.
Friday I noticed his gums looked very pale, so we took him to the vet and they did a CBC. Monday we got the results and were told he was severely anemic (7) and needed to go to the emergency vet immediately.
The emergency vet discussed a blood transfusion, but said there could be risks/reactions.
From what I understood, they aren’t sure yet whether
his body is destroying his red blood cells, or his bone marrow isn’t producing enough
They sent us home with prednisone and an appetite stimulant.
I guess I’m just looking for advice or guidance from anyone who has dealt with severe anemia in an FIV+ cat. Is there anything else we should be asking about or testing for? I know FIV can complicate things, but I left feeling a little hopeless and like there weren’t many options discussed.
Any advice or experiences would really be appreciated.