Protecting your pet is one of the most important jobs we have as pet parents.
We protect them from abuse, loneliness, illness, and the elements by providing shelter, love, good medical care, and protection from parasites. A common cause of illness in pets is anemia.
Anemia is one of those medical terms that you may hear tossed around a bit, but what is it, really?
The Greek root ‘an’ means without, while ‘emia’ refers to blood. So we have ‘an-emia’ or without blood! Being anemic means not having enough blood to get the job done – not totally without, but close enough to make you sick.
How Does Your Pet Become Anemic?
There are basically three ways:
- Blood loss - from a cut or nasty insects sucking it out.
- Not enough blood is being made.
- Diseases and toxins destroy blood cells.
The end result is the same – not enough oxygen getting to your tissues, and things start to fail.
Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA)
In IMHA, the immune system becomes confused and starts attacking the body’s own red blood cells. It’s very hard to treat, almost impossible to prevent, and (rarely) associated with recent vaccination.
Fleas & Anemia
One of the most horrifying, yet preventable causes of anemia is a flea infestation. Fleas, when they come en masse, can drain a cat or dog of blood as swiftly as any vampire. One or two fleas won’t do much harm but put hundreds of fleas on a kitten or a wee puppy can result in a transfusion. While it’s not life-threatening, it is very costly for any pet parent.
Luckily, this is one type of anemia that we can prevent – and prevent easily! No dog or cat should ever have to get a blood transfusion again due to fleas. A monthly application of PetArmor® Plus can keep fleas at bay, preventing an infestation and the development of anemia.
For flea anemia, getting rid of the fleas is an important step in getting the patient back to feeling well, but prevention is even better. Don’t delay and get ahead of fleas before infestation.
