Anemia in domestic cats: effect on hemoglobin components and whole blood oxygenation.

Phenylhydrazine-induced anemia in the domestic cat results in an increase in minor, high oxygen affinity hemoglobin B components and an accompanying decrease in the major, low affinity B component. This change is accompanied by an unusually large increase in erythrocytic adenosine triphosphate and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate, a slight decrease in the oxygen affinity of whole blood, and a large decrease in the Hill constant.