Furthermore to the symptoms of anemia, cats may exhibit symptoms of an underlying disease (such as chronic kidney disease) that may be causing the anemia. Cats that develop anemia gradually over time are often able to adapt to the anemia and show fewer signs (until the anemia is severe) than cats that develop anemia suddenly.
Diagnostic examinations
Anemia is confirmed when there are fewer RBCs (and lower hemoglobin concentrations) in a blood sample taken from the cat. The reduced RBC numbers can be demonstrated directly with a machine that counts individual cells, or more simply with a measurement known as the ‘packed cell volume,’ or PCV (this measurement can be obtained by spinning a small blood sample in a thin glass tube in a centrifuge, and observing the volume taken up by the RBCs which will sediment [or pack] at the bottom of the tube).
