Toxemia is widely termed as the condition where the blood contains toxins that can cause the symptoms of the disease. It is mainly found in cats. In this case, if this symptom is found in cats, cat owners should seek veterinary care immediately.
Toxemia, also known as feline toxemia, is also considered a symptom of other diseases. There are some factors that can cause this disease symptom. It can occur when the toxin enters the blood. In addition, it can also occur when the toxin accumulates in the blood.
Cats have a high chance of suffering from this type of symptom during or even after pregnancy. It is because they experience an infection of the uterus during or even after childbirth. Some different bacterial infections can lead to this system. These bacteria will then affect the function of the cat’s kidney, umbilical cord, and some other organs. Another cause of this symptom is due to the cat’s contact with toxic substances and also medications.
How to recognize the presence of toxemia? Low level toxins in the blood will not show any signs of disease or illness, they will be asymptomatic. One of the symptoms that you can recognize in your cat is when he has diarrhea. Other symptom includes problems with the heart as well as kidney failure.
In addition, the low level of toxicant in the cat’s blood can also be noticed through clinical symptoms, so you can only tell during the examination at the veterinarian. When the vet has examined the blood sample, he will show physical abnormalities of some blood cells, such as strange and unusual shapes or cellular gigantism. If blood toxicity is noted, it may be due to elevated levels of basophilic precipitates known as Dohle bodies.
The diagnosis of this symptom can vary. There are many different tests available to determine if it is just a symptom or the disease. If the cat is affected, it will need blood tests to check the toxin level. One of the popular blood tests is the complete blood panel. Additionally, this test is also beneficial in identifying what type of toxin is available in the blood.
Instead of the above test, you could also use a urinalysis. It is beneficial for testing kidney and organ function. On the other hand, if there is a specific type of suspected bacteria, the vet will prefer to perform bacterial culture for confirmation.
The treatment of toxemia is varied. It depends on the underlying cause. If it is caused by medication, the cat will be given a different medication. Also, if it is due to bacterial infection, the cat will receive different antibiotics depending on the bacteria. To fight gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, a combination of antibiotics and steroids is needed.
