Intravenous iron sucrose is safe but does not prevent development of anemia or iron deficiency in healthy cats undergoing serial venipuncture.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate IV iron sucrose safety and impact on hematologic and iron indices in healthy cats.

ANIMALS: 5 healthy research cats.

PROCEDURES: Cats were administered iron sucrose (0.5 mg/kg, IV) over 30 minutes. Monitoring for acute reactions (temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure) was performed every 5 minutes during injection and every 15 minutes for an additional hour. Baseline, 24-hour, and 1-, 2-, and 3-week postinjection measurements of CBC with reticulocyte indices, iron panel (ferritin, total iron-binding capacity, and iron), calculated transferrin saturation (TSAT), and serum amyloid A (SAA) concentration were performed.

RESULTS

No cat experienced an acute drug reaction. SAA concentration was increased at 24 hours versus baseline. TSAT and ferritin decreased over time, with 3 cats developing concurrent functional iron deficiency (FID) and anemia. Hct (Spearman correlation [rs] = 0.805), hemoglobin (rs = 0.770), and reticulocyte hemoglobin content (rs = 0.581) correlated with TSAT.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: IV iron sucrose was well tolerated in healthy cats but was associated with transient increase in the systemic inflammatory marker SAA. Efficacy evaluation of dose based on iron deficit is needed in sick cats. Despite cumulative blood draw volume below recommended limits, anemia and FID were observed, which has important implications for experimental designs and serial hematologic monitoring. Further evaluation of inflammatory response to IV iron sucrose administration is warranted.