What Causes Poor Perfusion of Cats?

Many of the organs in a cat's body utilize perfusion, or the flow of liquids, to transport nutrients throughout the cat's body and remove waste. However, when a cat suffers from certain illnesses, it may develop poor perfusion in one or several areas. Poor perfusion can result in the cat's health deteriorating or even in death.

  1. Dehydration

    • Since perfusion involves the movement of liquids, including blood, within a cat's body, a cat must be properly hydrated for the process to work well. Dehydration in a cat is the most common cause of poor perfusion. This is because the body does not have enough water content to create the blood necessary for the cat to function. This can lead to failure of some of the cat's organs, including the kidneys. If your cat becomes dehydrated, it is important to get him hydrated as soon as possible. If you cannot get him to drink, visit the vet for administration of an IV.

    Heart Problems

    • Some cats have a history of heart problems in their families. Depending on the type of heart condition, the cat's heart may become too weak to pump the blood efficiently through its body. In these cases, the blood develops poor perfusion because it is not being forced throughout the body at a high enough rate. For some heart conditions, medication may help the cat's heart to work more efficiently, thus increasing the level of perfusion. In other cases, though, little can be done for the cat.

    Medication

    • If your cat is on medications for certain medical conditions, some of these medications can reduce the perfusion within the cat, thus causing more damage than help. These medications have a side effect of restricting the arteries within the cat, which results in a slower blood flow. In addition, the cat's heart is forced to work harder to pump the blood throughout the cat's body. In these cases, it is important to evaluate if there is an alternative medication to use that will not have a negative impact on the size of the cat's arteries.

    Lung Problems

    • One of the areas of perfusion is between the lungs and the cat's blood. In this process, oxygen is added to the blood and carbon dioxide is removed. Some lung problems can contribute to poor perfusion in your cat. For instance, if your cat has allergies or asthma, it may have trouble breathing and thus create poor perfusion in the lungs. Growths in the cat's lungs, certain infections, inhaled fungi and failure of various organs can all contribute to poor perfusion in the cat's lungs.