Why do my two cats have severe anemia? Is it genetic or a toxin?

Question

When my kitten was 9 months old he started getting very lethargic, we took him to the vet and he had severe anemia. The vet did blood tests for Fip, Fiv and leukemia, but he didn’t have any of those. She gave him antibiotics and steroids but within a few days he was worse and had to be euthanized. We still don’t know what happened, she said possibly bone marrow cancer. Now my other cat, who is his sibling and a year old has the same thing. What could this be? Is cancer genetic in cats? Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 1 year old | 7 lbs

Stacey Anstaett, DVM · Accepted Answer

I am so sorry that you are going through this again! Some cats can be genetically more prone to developing cancer, though it’s still uncommon in younger cats especially when the are FELV/FIV negative. If the newly affected cat hasn’t been tested I would recommend doing so. Also consider any toxins that they both could have gotten into. Some toxins that can cause anemia in cats include onions (inducing onion powder or dehydrated onions), zinc (such as contained in diaper rash cream), and Tylenol/acetaminophen. Again I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and please don’t hesitate to post again if we can answer anything more specifically.

Why do my two cats have severe anemia? Is it genetic or a toxin?

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