Cause of Toxemia in Cats

Toxemia is a type of systemic infection that cats can experience when bacteria or toxins spread by way of the bloodstream. These infections begin locally, then spread throughout the entire body, causing organ failure, anorexia, diarrhea, vomiting, fever and depression. The development of toxemia is a medical emergency, and veterinary assistance should be sought immediately.

  1. Function

    • The cause behind the development of toxemia in cats can contribute heavily to the symptoms that the cat displays, as well as to the cat's prognosis for recovery. There are different types of toxemia, and each has its own prognosis. The causes leading to toxemia can vary significantly, though toxemia typically begins with a local infection.

    Kidney-Related Causes

    • The most common cause of toxemia in cats relates to the kidneys and chronic renal failure. When the kidneys become unable to filter toxins out of the bloodstream and into the urine, toxemia can result. The kidneys are responsible for flushing toxins out of the body, and an inability to do this can cause infections such as toxemia to wreak havoc on the cat's health.

    Pregnancy-Related Causes

    • Cats, like some other animals and humans, can develop toxemia related to pregnancy. This type of toxemia is also known as pre-eclampsia. Certain types of infections that mother cats are prone to can also develop into toxemia. These include mastitis, an infection of the mammary glands; pyometra, which involves pus accumulating in the uterus; and metritis, an inflammation of the lining of the uterus after birth.

    Systemic Infections

    • Systemic infections are prone to developing into toxemia if they are not addressed quickly and completely. These infections can result from improperly cleaned and bandaged wounds, ingestion of chemical or metallic poisons, ingestion of toxic plants, and destruction of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract because of intestinal illness.

    Time Frame

    • The symptoms displayed by a cat with toxemia can give clues as to what stage the disease is in. Diarrhea and vomiting, low or no appetite, and low urine or fecal output are common toxemia symptoms early on. Cats with untreated toxemia will begin to show symptoms of organ failure including lethargy, jaundice, depression and high fever, according to Caroline Tanaka, a veterinarian in Austin, Texas. In the end stages of the disease, difficulty breathing, low blood pressure, and fluid accumulation are the most common symptoms.