A kitten who was rescued by the RSPCA needed an emergency blood transfusion to save its life.
A ginger kitten who was rescued by the RSPCA and was severely anaemic was given an emergency blood transfusion by vets to save its life.
The little kitten was just five weeks old and was found at a property in Milton Keynes, living in unsuitable conditions. He was covered in fleas which had become so severe he was anaemic and very weak.
The RSPCA took him to Milton Keynes Veterinary Group at the Walnut Tree where it was decided he would need an emergency blood transfusion to save his life.
Sue Taft, at RSPCA Milton Keynes branch, said: “This poor kitten was signed over after he was found collapsed and nearly died. He was absolutely covered in fleas and severely anaemic, so the vets decided his only hope was a blood transfusion, so I took my own cat Brian down to help out.
“As soon as the blood went in, the little kitten started to pick up and after a few days he was happy and eating again like kittens do. We called him Brian Junior after our own lovely cat who saved his life.”
Brian Junior was taken into RSPCA care last October and went into foster care where he received some much-needed love and attention. The fosterers fell in love with little Brian and decided to give him his forever home.
Sue’s four-year old tabby cat Brian was also rescued by the RSPCA – he came into the charity’s care with a badly mangled leg which needed amputating before Sue gave him his forever home.
Brian senior has donated blood to help other Moggies previously, this does require a light sedation, but Brian was back to his old self within hours. As with any sedation, there are some risks but also lots of benefits in rehabilitating cats like Brian Junior.
The RSPCA said: “There are a variety of conditions which can cause severe anaemia in cats and this can sometimes result in the need for a life-saving blood transfusion. There may be a lot of information out there about humans donating blood but the idea of pets giving blood is less known.
“Sadly, flea anaemia is a relatively common cause of death in young kittens. If owners are concerned about fleas on their pets, they should speak to their vet who will be able to provide the most effective and safe treatments.”
Most cats will need to be sedated for blood transfusion and this in itself carries a small risk as the drugs used in sedation can lower blood pressure which could be a problem if your cat has any underlying heart of kidney disease. The removal of the blood itself also lowers blood pressure adding to the risk.
A full clinical examination of your cat and some blood tests should be carried out by a vet first to ensure they are a suitable donor.
More information can be found here: https://icatcare.org/advice/cat-health/blood-donor-cats
