Are blood transfusions for cats helpful, or even necessary? When you have a seriously ill cat with multiple problems, this is one of the common veterinary suggestions.

However blood transfusions for cats are rather different from those for human ones.

Common problems that require a blood transfusion in a person would be when they have lost a lot of blood from, say an accident or surgery or when there is internal bleeding.

Diseases and ailments which often call for these may include cancer, cancer treatment, liver malfunction, blood disorders such as leukaemia, as well as other illnesses.

However there are risks involved. The receiver can have an allergic reaction, a fever, an immune reaction if the match wasn’t very good, even a fatal lung reaction.

Donors for the human blood bank are carefully screened and are only allowed to donate blood when they are healthy and at infrequent intervals. This allows their blood levels to fully recover before another donation.

Only small quantities are taken at any time and the patient is carefully monitored during the process.

Blood transfusions for cats is similar, but also rather different. 

It can be indicated or suggested when:

• there has been severe blood loss from injury or surgery
• with a blood related illness, such as severe anaemia
• with high toxicity

When blood loss happens with surgery, it is most likely to be from negligence.

Severe anaemia or other blood related conditions are not sudden in their manifestations. It is slow in developing, but the signs were either missed or ignored.

The same applies to toxicity, unless the cat has been suddenly poisoned. Most toxicity develops slowly.

Severe blood loss from a bad injury may be one of the only valid qualifications for a transfusion.

Whilst with the human scenario, donors are voluntary, you can't say that about cats.

It's more down to the ethics of the veterinarian, which you may not know.

Ethical vets with have a list of people who have healthy cats and who feel happy to allow blood to be taken from their cat. Generally, this only happens the once.

The less ethical vets have been known to keep unclaimed cats just for this purpose, taking blood from them again and again.

Apart from the possible lack of health in these cats, regulate donations of blood are frowned upon. For good reason.

These can be serious and include:

• an allergic reaction of vomiting, diarrhoea, breathing difficulty, skin eruptions
• fever
• hemolysis which is where the blood is rejected, causing anaemia
• too much blood can cause an overload leading to  difficulty in breathing
• blood clotting 

With the potential for serious conditions, often worse than the original complaint, it's a wiser strategy to consider alternatives.

Whilst conditions such as severe anaemia or any chronic disease are serious, they have causes. A blood transfusion or three are not going to address the cause.

The same applies to chronic toxicity.

They can only help temporarily, which may be useful.

One of the main causes of any health issue is the diet. No-one can be healthy if the diet is inappropriate for the species or is nutrient deficient.

Both these apply to commercial cat food. It is inappropriate, made from waste from the human market.

In addition, chronic toxicity comes from the food, as hazardous chemicals are used to preserve, to flavour, to colour and in a vain attempt to address the shortfall in nutrition.

Veterinary drugs add to the toxicity.

Changing the diet to a healthy raw meat and bones diet can transform a cat declining in health to a vibrant and energetic one. Often quickly.

Adding holistic health care to the regime and you can avoid chronic disease, toxicity and the need for surgery. A natural cat is a healthy cat!