Mycoplasma haemofelis causes feline infectious anaemia by parasitising and destroying red blood cells, leading to potentially severe welfare impairment from anaemia that requires prompt veterinary diagnosis and treatment.
Feline infectious anaemia causes significant welfare impairment through the physiological effects of severe anaemia — weakness, lethargy, breathlessness, and rapid deterioration without treatment. Cats in acute haemolytic crisis are profoundly ill and require urgent veterinary intervention. The condition is often triggered by concurrent disease or stress that suppresses the immune system's ability to control latent infection. Treatment with doxycycline is generally effective, but severely anaemic cats require supportive care including blood transfusion to maintain tissue oxygenation while treatment takes effect. Flea control is the most important preventive measure, as flea transmission is the primary route of infection.