Content
- Anemia in dogs: what is it?
- Causes of Anemia in Dogs
- Hemorrhagic anemia in dogs
- Hemolytic anemia in dogs
- Aplastic anemia in dogs
- Symptoms of Anemia in Dogs
- Anemia in dogs: diagnosis
- How to Treat Anemia in Dogs
- Anemia in Dogs: Prevention
The vet diagnosed your dog with anemia? There are three different types of anemia that affect dogs: hemorrhagic anemia, hemolytic anemia and aplastic anemia. All three generally have an effective treatment if they are detected and treated in time, so it will be important to follow up with a specialist as soon as possible.
In this article by Animal Expert you will find information related to each of these diseases, we will explain what are the symptoms that can help you detect and how they can be treated. In addition, we offer some tricks for you to know how to care for and feed your dog with anemia to get a better supply of iron. Keep reading this PeritoAnimal article and discover everything you need to know about anemia in dogs: causes, symptoms and treatment.
Anemia in dogs: what is it?
At the dog's blood different cells are found, such as white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. We also find minerals, nutrients, proteins... These elements are found in a certain proportion and an excess or lack of them can be a symptom of anemia in dogs.
You red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen to different tissues in the body. A normal proportion is between 39 and 60%. Values less than 39% are a clear deficiency that indicates you have a dog with anemia. This is a serious health problem, as it results in a direct lack of oxygen in the different organs and tissues of the body.
Causes of Anemia in Dogs
There are four variations of anemia in dogs that are directly related. to different causes that provoke it. Here we will detail, in general, what these types are and why they occur:
Hemorrhagic anemia in dogs
This anemia is directly related to blood loss. There are different reasons why it can develop: wounds, external parasites or ulcers. The dog that is losing blood is weak and unstable. Blood in the dog's urine or feces is one of the symptoms that can help detect hemorrhagic anemia if it occurs internally.
Hemolytic anemia in dogs
This type of hemolytic anemia in dogs is related to the dog's immune system. modifies the natural cycle of red cells of the blood, destroying them and preventing them from reproducing to reach the proper proportion in the blood. It can also be a consequence of internal parasites and hereditary diseases. May cause jaundice to appear. There are two types of hemolytic anemia:
- Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia: it is usually the most common anemia and the destruction of erythrocytes is forced by the appearance of antibodies that directly attack these cells.
- Congenital hemolytic anemia: in this case, the destruction of red blood cells is caused by hereditary causes. It is very common in: cocker spaniel or english cocker spaniel.
Aplastic anemia in dogs
In this case, the production of red blood cells in bone marrow it is not enough to compensate for the natural loss of these cells. It can be caused by tumors, toxins, infections (parvovirus and ehrlichiosis), radiation and chronic kidney failure.
In all these types, it is usually possible to verify a clinical picture of a dog with anemia and low platelets.
Symptoms of Anemia in Dogs
The symptoms of anemia in dogs can vary depending on the type of anemia the animal suffers from or how long it has been dormant inside. These signs, in addition to aiding in the diagnosis of anemia in dogs, can also be signs of other diseases. You symptoms of anemia in dogs most common are:
- Gums and pale mucous membranes
- Weakness
- Depression
- Lethargy
- Lack of appetite
- blood in feces
- exercise intolerance
- Tachycardia
- fainting
- difficulty breathing
Anemia in dogs: diagnosis
In addition to the symptoms of anemia in dogs and the general physical examination, the diagnosis through a blood count (blood test) is essential to ensure that it really is anemia. A urine or stool test can also be done for this purpose.
However, this diagnosis does not exactly indicate the factors that cause it, therefore, extra testing should be performed if exactly what causes it is not determined by these two analyses. Some of the tests to be done are:
- Bone marrow scraping
- bone marrow biopsy
- Abdominocentesis
- X-ray
- Ultrasound
- Endoscopy
- Specific analyzes for different parasites
- Toxin analysis
Depending on the result, a certain type of treatment will be applied. Don't forget that the veterinarian is the only person trained to diagnose this disease, so we should never treat a dog without a professional diagnosis.
How to Treat Anemia in Dogs
Know how to treat anemia in dogs it will depend on each case and a treatment will be recommended. according to the causes of anemia. The veterinarian is the only one able to decide the proper treatment for each dog, however, the most common ones for canine anemia include:
- blood transfusions
- Bone marrow transplant
- Administration of immunosuppressants
- Administration of iron supplements
- gastrointestinal protectors
- use of antibiotics
- Use of antiparasitic
O prognosis is also very variable and it depends on each case. Dogs with mild anemia and simple to eliminate causes have a very positive prognosis. In contrast, dogs that have anemia caused by tumors, cancer or other serious conditions have a more reserved prognosis.
Anemia in Dogs: Prevention
The different causes that cause canine anemia make it impossible to recommend a single type of prevention. However, with the exception of cases of anemia associated with genetic causes, we can guarantee that a good diet, special care and a regular veterinary review can help us avoid some of the factors that cause this disease. In addition, early detection of anemia can make treatment more effective.
If you're looking for more information on dog feeding, check out this article: Eco-Friendly Dog Food
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.