Signs of left heart volume overload in severely anaemic cats

Anaemia induces haemodynamic compensatory mechanisms resulting in volume overload and increased left heart dimensions in humans and dogs. The aims of this retrospective study were to investigate the effects of anaemia on echocardiographic left heart dimensions, vertebral heart size (VHS) and radiographic evidence of congestive heart failure (CHF) in cats. Fifteen cats fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were classified as mildly anaemic (haematocrit (Hct) > 18-24%) or severely anaemic (Hct ≤ 18%). Eight out of eight severely anaemic cats had left atrial enlargement compared with 1/6 mildly anaemic cats (P < 0.005) and severely anaemic cats also had a larger median left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (1.80 cm versus 1.27 cm, respectively; P < 0.05). No difference was found between the groups in VHS or frequency of radiographic signs of CHF. Despite the small sample size, these preliminary findings suggest that severely anaemic cats are more likely to have enlarged left heart dimensions than mildly anaemic cats.