Feline Infectious Anemia (Hemobartonellosis)

By Jill Anne Sparapany


Joy with a feeding tube for eating!


Feline infectious anemia is a significant world-wide bacterial parasitic disease that infects red blood cells to live and reproduce. It is caused by Mycoplasma haemofelis, formerly known as Haemobartonella felis. Cats of all breeds and ages can be affected.
Predisposing risk factors include any disease that causes immunosuppression, such as cancer or FELV (feline leukemia virus), deficient vaccination status, recent history of cat bite abscesses and exposure to fleas and ticks. Mosquito are another transmission vector. Intact male cats may roam and be at higher risk due to fighting behaviors.

Mycoplasma organisms lack cell walls and depend on the host animal to survive. Since it does not survive alone, it is a parasite dependent upon the host for survival. It attaches to the surface of red blood cells in the bloodstream. The cat’s immune system recognizes the foreign invader on the RBC surface and destruction of the RBC’s begins resulting in anemia.
·        This is different from AIHA, AutoImmune Hemolytic Anemia, when the immune system starts to destroy healthy red blood cells.

It is not definitively known how the parasitic bacterium is spread from cat to cat but the major transmission vectors are blood-sucking insects, fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, etc. Other possible transmission routes are blood transfusions and cat fight wounds.
Newborn kittens may be infected but it is not known if infection is spread through placenta, during birth or by nursing.

Clinical Signs: Signs related to anemia.
·        Pale mucous membranes, gums
·        Weakness and lethargy
·        Depression
·        Weight loss
·        Loss of appetite
·        Diffuse whole body tenderness
·        Fever
·        Jaundice (yellowing of skin, eyes, mucous membranes)
·        Increased respiratory rate
·        Shock

Diagnosis: By microscopic examination of the RBCs, small dots can be seen on the blood cell surface. Depending upon the numbers of Mycoplasma present, diagnosis can be difficult and may take several blood smears to confirm.
Other tests include Coombs, chemistry panel, urinalysis, FIV and FeLV testing. PCR analysis is the best test to confirm presence of Mycoplasma haemofelis infection. PCR quantifies the amount of mycoplasma DNA, which can be monitored for response to treatment.

Treatment: Underlying diseases or stressors must be treated since this is an opportunistic disease affecting weakened animals.
·        Antibiotics in the tetracycline family are the treatment of choice. Tetracycline and doxycycline.  **Doxycycline may cause esophageal strictures in cats when given in pill form – give 1-2 teaspoons of water after administering the pill to ensure the pill is swallowed completely. Doxycycline is available in liquid formulation.
·        Prednisone may be given to reduce the immune system’s destruction of RBCs.
·        Transfusions may be necessary in some cats with severe anemia.

Home care and Prevention:
·        Administer medications as prescribed. If you cannot give your cat the medicine, notify your vet! The antibiotic treatment is absolutely necessary to save your cat’s life!
·        Follow recommendations by your vet for re-check appointments during recovery.
·        Keep your cat indoors to prevent exposure to vectors of infection, reduce fighting between cats and reduce exposure to other diseases and viruses.
·        Neuter outdoor cats to reduce cat fighting.
·        Use flea and tick medications, recommended by your vet.

Prognosis: If treatment is not started in the acute phase, up to 1/3 of all FIA cats will die. Cats who survive early stages will become chronic carriers and may be susceptible to relapse with stress or illness.  

Comments from Alana:  If your cat is an outdoor cat,  has issues with fleas, is a new cat that you just got and presents with anemia,  make sure your vet checks for hemobart. It may not occur to them.  You have to be your cats best advocate.



Joy loves the attention she is getting!



Thank you so much to everyone for your generous gifts from our Amazon wish list!!

Pepper playing Santa!

Amazon often does not put packing slips in the boxes and they never give us your contact info so we are not able to personally contact you to thank you.  Please know that we deeply appreciate your kindness and are very grateful to you for your support!

This list is from several days of boxes :)

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Don't forget tonight we open tour and boxes tonight at 6:30 P.M.


Thank you to the wonderful people who share their auctions with the cats! 
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Here is another auction of a laptop for sale. She is donating 100% of the auction with the cats!! Here is the link:

Another auction that an ebay seller is donating 100% to the cats! 





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We are now taking orders for calendars and will try to ship them in December. We will try to get them to you by Christmas if your in the US if your international we hope you will get it by then (if not we are sorry), Please order by December 19th 2014. They make great Christmas gifts and what a great way to start the new year with one!



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