Vasilatis DM, McGill JE, Gilor C. A novel bone marrow-sparing treatment for primary erythrocytosis in a cat: Onion powder.
J Vet Intern Med 2021;
35:1977-1980. [PMID:
34110655 PMCID:
PMC8295705 DOI:
10.1111/jvim.16194]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary erythrocytosis (PE) is a rare myeloproliferative neoplasm in cats resulting in the overproduction of erythrocytes. Current treatment modalities include repeated phlebotomy and chemotherapeutic drugs. These treatments may not be well tolerated by the cat and can present safety and financial challenges to owners. Because of the rarity of PE, prospective studies for new treatment options are difficult to perform. This case report describes the novel use of onion powder in an attempt to produce Heinz body‐induced erythrocyte destruction in order to decrease total erythrocyte mass and normalize the hematocrit in a cat with PE. To our knowledge, the use of onion powder in the treatment of PE in cats has never been described before and may have potential as a safe, low‐cost, and highly accessible alternative treatment for this rare disease.
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