Why does anemia develop in dogs and how to treat it. Autoimmune hemolytic anemia in dogs

WOLMAR

FOR DOGS

Anemia in dogs is called pathological condition, which occurs due to the loss or destruction of a large number of red blood cells (erythrocytes). This condition may be due to internal or external bleeding, a reaction to certain medications, an immune disorder, or cancer. Typically, anemia in dogs is manifested by fatigue, exercise intolerance, decreased appetite, pale gums, and pyoderma in dogs . In some cases, anemia in dogs is not accompanied characteristic features. Severe anemia requires blood transfusion.The development of anemia occurs when the level of red blood cells in the bloodstream decreases. Since these cells deliver oxygen throughout the body, their deficiency can lead to catastrophic consequences. The fight against anemia in dogs depends on the underlying cause of its occurrence.

Causes of the disease Nemia in dogs

Anemia in dogs can occur due to the following factors:

1. Blood loss associated with severe trauma. As a result, external or internal bleeding occurs.
2. Autoimmune diseases accompanied by the destruction of red blood cells.
3. Pathology of the gastrointestinal tract, in which bleeding is noted. The reason for this may be a strong inflammatory process or a reaction to the use of certain medications. We are talking, for example, about non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (aspirin).
4. Infectious pathology.
5. Tick bites.
6. Flea infestation. As a rule, anemia is encountered in this case small dogs and puppies.
7. Poisoning with lead, rat poison, etc.
8. Tumor lesion of the stomach. Ulceration of the cancer can cause severe bleeding.Diseases and recommendations for Doberman

Clinical picture of the disease and numbness in dogs

Typically, anemia in dogs is manifested by lethargy, exercise intolerance, decreased appetite and pale mucous membranes. The appearance of these signs is associated with a violation most important function red blood cells - oxygen transport. In most cases, for light form anemia is not typical severe symptoms fcm glandular dysplasia. To confirm the diagnosis, it is indicated to carry out general analysis blood. If your dog shows signs of anemia, you should immediately seek help. The final diagnosis of anemia is made in laboratory conditions. A hematocrit test can be used to quickly diagnose anemia in dogs. This indicator indicates the percentage of red blood cells in the blood. It is worth noting that all breeds of dogs can experience anemic disorders.

Treatment of ania in dogs

If cause of anemia is acute or chronic damage or loss of a large number of red blood cells, a blood transfusion is indicated. This method facilitates the delivery of necessary nutrients and oxygen to the main tissues and organs. In some cases, blood transfusions are performed multiple times.To stop bleeding, you need to use hemostatic agents (Vikasol). In case of gradual progression of anemia, the use of folic acid, iron and vitamin B12. Poisoning with poisons is considered an indication for the use of glucocorticoids (prednisolone) and antidotes. To increase the effectiveness of treatment, removal of the spleen is recommended. Read alsoNutrition plays a special role in the treatment of anemia in dogs. It is recommended to add to the animal's diet raw liver. This product contains a large number of nutrients. First of all, we are talking about hardware.

Probably every dog ​​owner has sometimes noticed that his beloved pet for some reason refuses or gets tired of the physical activity that was previously usual. If this passes quickly, then this state of the animal does not cause any particular concern. But if this is repeated very often or becomes a constant occurrence, then some suspicions already arise about the pet’s health. Often the cause of this phenomenon can be a disease such as anemia.

What is anemia

Anemia can affect both people and animals. Cause of the disease- decrease in red blood cells in the blood. Red blood cells are cells that provide the body with oxygen. Their deficiency worsens the condition of all systems and organs of the animal.

Anemia can affect dogs of any breed and at any age. With this disease, blood mass can remain normal, decrease, or even increase. The increase can occur due to the fact that the lack of the liquid component of the blood is replenished with tissue fluid. At the same time, qualitative changes occur in the composition of the blood. The reason for this is low content hemoglobin in erythrocytes.

Anemia is also popularly called anemia. It's pretty dangerous disease in dogs. It often occurs as an independent disease, and sometimes it is a symptom of other serious illnesses. Anemia must be noticed and diagnosed in time, otherwise it can lead to the death of the animal. To do this right away, you need to know the symptoms of the disease and its causes.

Anemia is extremely diverse and is often hidden under the signs of other diseases, but nevertheless we can identify its general symptoms.

Red blood cells carry oxygen to all organs and tissues of the body, which is very important for the life of the animal. If the level of red blood cells decreases, the dog becomes lethargic and gets tired very quickly from physical activity. Her activity decreases, she wants to lie down more often, and sometimes gets up only to relieve herself.

Pets' appetite decreases, sometimes so much that they refuse to eat at all. One more a clear sign anemia is the paleness and even blueness of the mucous membranes of the animal, the gums become cold to the touch.

And also other quite pronounced symptoms of anemia are often observed:

  • disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract - loose stool, vomit;
  • dyspnea;
  • feverish condition;
  • polydipsia - the animal begins to drink water intensively;
  • polyuria - the amount of urine excreted increases, but this does not always happen.

During the examination, veterinarians may detect other malfunctions in the body: jaundice, rapid breathing, tachycardia, systolic murmurs. Bilirubin or hemoglobin may color urine Brown color. At ultrasound examinations Enlargement of the lymph nodes, liver and spleen can be detected.

Contact a veterinary hospital as soon as you suspect anemia in your dog.

Very often, the cause of anemia in an animal is a large loss of blood due to serious injury or caused by illness or severe inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.

The disease can be caused by infectious diseases caused by ticks. This happens more often in small breed dogs.

The disease can also be provoked by an immune-mediated disease, due to which one’s own red blood cells are destroyed.

Internal bleeding, and then anemia, can be caused by the use of certain medications, for example, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Flea infestation is no less dangerous than tick infestation. This is especially true for young animals and small breed dogs.

Poisoning caused by heavy metals or potent poisons, which causes intoxication of the body, can ultimately also lead to anemia. This is very dangerous species, it is capable of developing very quickly, and sometimes simply at lightning speed. A disease in which under the influence of hemolytic poisons(mercury, arsenic, lead, insect poisons, snakes, ammonia) increased destruction of red blood cells occurs, called hemolytic anemia.

Both external and internal bleeding occur in cases of cancer.

The formation of blood cells may be suspended medical supplies, which are used in the treatment of such chronic diseases like cancer or kidney failure.

General diagnostic principles

It should be noted that anemia is not difficult to diagnose. It is more difficult to determine the disease that caused anemia, because it is only a symptom of some other disease.

After the dog gets into veterinary clinic, she undergoes a general blood and urine test. This makes it possible to determine whether the animal has anemia and, if it is present, then doctors then begin to search for the disease that caused it.

When a dog is diagnosed with anemia, but the reason why the red blood cells are destroyed is unknown, then a blood smear is taken and examined under a microscope. If there is blood loss for unknown reasons, a stool examination is performed to determine if there is hidden blood.

In some cases, when it is difficult to determine the underlying disease, the diagnosis must be carried out in more detail. If there is a suspicion of pathology in the production of red blood cells, then a biopsy is performed bone marrow. Sometimes from abdominal cavity a sample is taken free liquid, this method helps detect free blood.

Thanks to these research methods, it becomes possible to detect anemia in dogs.

Treatment

After diagnosing anemia in an animal, which shows whether it is a separate phenomenon or a symptom of another dangerous disease, you should immediately begin treatment for the disease. It will depend on the severity of the pet's condition. Can be used in treatment as medications, and surgical intervention.

If the disease progresses to severe form and already threatens the life of the animal, then in this case a blood transfusion is given. This helps stabilize the dog's condition. Appropriate treatment should also be prescribed.

Therapy depends on what disease caused the anemia. As a rule, the veterinarian, when prescribing treatment, looks at the condition of the dog and its age.

When treating anemia, the following procedures are performed:

If other methods are ineffective, then surgery is performed.

During the treatment period, it is necessary to constantly monitor the pet's health.

Treatment prognosis

How quickly a dog copes with anemia depends on the pet’s health status at this moment and what caused this disease.

If treatment was started on time, then after 3-4 weeks the symptoms of the disease stop. But when the disease becomes chronic, then therapy may be delayed. Even after the dog will pass full course of treatment, she is still for a long time will return to normal.

The speed of recovery also depends on the age of the animal. Young dogs recover faster, in about 16-23 days.

Prevention of anemia in dogs

It is impossible to completely insure against this disease. But if the owner takes care of his pet, give him proper food, walk with him, take him for examination to specialists on time, treat, carry out necessary vaccinations, then this will help avoid serious illnesses which lead to anemia.

Attention, TODAY only!

One of the most serious diseases in dogs is anemia. It develops against the background of a sharp decrease in the number of red blood cells. They provide the dog's body with oxygen. As a result of the development of anemia, all systems and vital organs suffer.

Anemia is a disorder component composition blood. In this case, a decrease in hemoglobin is observed. Red blood cells also decrease in number.

When a dog is anemic, there is low hemoglobin in the blood.

Hemoglobin supplies body tissues and cells with oxygen. When its deficiency occurs, the development of oxygen starvation of cells is observed.

Main types of pathology

Highlight the following types anemia:

  1. Regenerative.
  2. Non-regenerative.
  3. Aplastic.
  4. Nutritional.
  5. Hypoplastic.

Blood picture in anemia.

In regenerative anemia, the canine body compensates for lost red blood cells. The non-regenerative type of pathology does not imply this.

Main provoking factors

Anemia can develop due to:

Anemia can occur due to poisoning.

Other reasons

The factor that triggers the development of aplastic anemia may be impaired activity of the hematopoietic system. This refers to the “birth” of both red blood cells and other blood cells.

Nutritional anemia is most common in puppies.

Hypoplastic anemia develops against a background of deficiency:

  • vitamin components;
  • proteins;
  • microelements.

Another reason for the development of this form is damage to bone marrow cells by toxins.

Main reason posthemorrhagic anemia the occurrence of external or internal bleeding should be considered.

Internal bleeding is the cause of posthemorrhagic anemia.

Risk group

Anemia develops in animals with a history of duodenal or gastric ulcers. This pathology also progresses in dogs with genetic diseases.

Most often, the disease is diagnosed in pit bulls and greyhounds.

Pitbull dogs are at risk.

This is explained by the fact that these breeds are most prone to infectious pathologies, which are often the root cause of anemia.

How does pathology manifest itself?

When the level of red blood cells decreases, the dog becomes very lethargic and apathetic. Carry out physical exercise It becomes incredibly difficult for her. The animal lies all the time and shows no activity.

When the level of red blood cells decreases, the dog becomes lethargic.

There is a sharp decrease in appetite. In the most difficult cases, the dog refuses food. The mucous membranes turn blue or pale. The animal's gums become cold.

But the following signs also appear:

  1. Fever.
  2. Unquenchable thirst.
  3. Polyuria.
  4. Abnormal stool.
  5. Vomit.

Establishing a diagnosis

The disease is diagnosed after. Typically, the hemocrit value is used for this. If the values ​​are 35% less than normal, then the presumptive diagnosis is confirmed.

A blood test is taken to make a diagnosis.

A bone marrow biopsy is used for this. After this, the veterinarian has clear information about the root cause of anemia.

After passing comprehensive examination appropriate therapy is prescribed.

Treatment of anemia in dogs

When prescribing treatment, the specialist takes into account the root cause of the pathology, as well as the age and health status of the four-legged patient. Usually the veterinarian resorts to conservative therapy.

Surgical intervention is prescribed in very severe cases when there is a serious risk of death.

If the dog weakens before our eyes and loses consciousness, the bleeding vessel is adjusted. To do this, introduce:

  1. Aminocaproic acid.
  2. Vikasola.
  3. Dicinona.

Aminocaproic acid is given to a dog that is losing consciousness.

Blood transfusion

Transfusions of canned blood and plasma-substituting solutions are also carried out.

One of the treatment methods is blood transfusion.

Help with sluggish anemia

If the pathology is characterized by a sluggish, slow progression, then the dog is prescribed the following:

  1. Vitamin B12.
  2. Folic acid.
  3. Iron substances.

For sluggish anemia, the use of folic acid is prescribed.

Help with posthemorrhagic anemia

First of all, the veterinarian eliminates the root cause of stopping the bleeding. Poliglyukin is prescribed. It is injected into a vein or under the skin of the animal. But the dog is also prescribed the following medications:

  1. Glucose solution.
  2. Isotonic sodium chloride solution.
  3. 5% Ringer's solution.

The drug Poliglyukin is used for posthemorrhagic anemia.

Help with hemolytic anemia

If the dog has been poisoned heavy metals, methylene blue or phenotisan, the use of detoxifying drugs and glucocorticosteroids is recommended. The effectiveness of therapy will increase if the doctor removes the spleen.

Removing the spleen will increase the effectiveness of therapy.

Help with hypoplastic anemia

Treatment depends on the underlying cause. Usually the dog is prescribed:

  1. Multivitamins.
  2. Glucocorticoids.
  3. Anabolics.

Multivitamins are prescribed for hypoplastic anemia.

Other medicines

Your veterinarian may also prescribe the following:

The drug Phytomenadione is used to treat anemia.

If necessary, a course of procedures is carried out, main goal which is to maintain the dog’s body in good shape.

During therapy, it is very important to constantly monitor the animal’s condition.

At the end of treatment, strict monitoring of the dog’s health is necessary.

Treatment prognosis

If the treatment was timely, the symptoms of this dangerous disease will stop in about 3-4 weeks.

But if anemia has transformed into a chronic form, then therapy takes longer. The danger is that even after completing the course of treatment, the dog may not fully recover for a long time.

A young pet recovers faster, and the disease itself is easier for him. The recovery period in this case takes from 16 to 23 days .

Young dogs recover faster.

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia

With the autoimmune hemolytic form of the disease, rapid recovery is observed even in elderly pets.

Older dogs recover quickly from autoimmune hemolytic anemia.

If the root cause of the pathology was poisoning of the dog’s body with poisons, then the prognosis is the least favorable. The same applies to cases where the disease is provoked by autoimmune pathologies.

If the root cause of the disease was oncology, then in most cases death occurs. The animal's body reacts poorly to surgery and chemotherapy.

Preventive actions

There is no method that would completely prevent the development of anemia. But it is important to remember that a huge role is played proper nutrition animal. The dog's diet must be filled useful substances. You need to feed her only high-quality food.

Proper nutrition for your dog is a preventive measure.

It is advisable to regularly take your pet for examination to the veterinary clinic. Mandatory, preventing root cause diseases.

Video about anemia in dogs

Anemia in dogs is not an independent disease, it is more a symptom of another – main (primary) – pathology associated with hematopoiesis. With this condition, the number of red blood cells (erythrocytes) in the blood decreases and/or the level of hemoglobin in them decreases.

Hemoglobin is an iron-containing protein whose main purpose is to transport oxygen to cells and tissues. It is obvious that when anemia develops in dogs, the symptoms are associated specifically with oxygen starvation. Absolutely all pets are at risk, regardless of their age, gender or breed.

It should be noted that due to the high compensatory properties of the body, anemia in dogs is extremely rare, but every dog ​​breeder should know the symptoms of pathology!

How to tell if a dog has anemia

By the following signs A dog owner may suspect that their pet is sick:

What should you do if your dog has this condition? The most right action The owner will contact a veterinarian and then undergo a general blood test, which will accurately determine the diagnosis.

It should also be noted that the listed symptoms usually accompany already severe degree anemia. At the very beginning, the pathology may be asymptomatic. Therefore, one should not wait for the manifestation of all signs of anemia, pallor of the mucous membranes in combination with increased fatigue- already a good reason to take a blood test to check cellular composition.

Types of anemia

Depending on the method of flow pathological processes There are anemias:

According to the method of compensation it is divided into:

  • regenerative, when the body copes with red blood cell deficiency by intensively producing new cells;
  • non-regenerative when rapid restoration of the cellular composition of the blood does not occur.

How to help and how to treat

Before treating anemia, it is imperative to find out and eliminate the cause that led to this state. Without this, therapy will not only be ineffective, but also meaningless. In addition, treatment of anemia in dogs is carried out only in a comprehensive manner - bleeding is stopped, the root cause is eliminated, and the volume of blood, red blood cells and hemoglobin is restored.

Infusion therapy

in case of blood loss to replenish the volume of circulating blood. Depending on how extensive the blood loss was, such solutions are dripped:

  • less than 20% blood loss: saline solution, glucose 5%, Ringer/Ringer-Locke solution, Trisol, etc.
  • up to 40%: polyglucin, reopolyglucin, perftoran are added to the above solutions (especially good for piroplasmosis).
  • above 40%: blood transfusion and red blood cell replenishment may be required.

All dosages are individual, calculated by the veterinarian based on the condition of the dog in this particular case and its weight.

Recovery time:

  • acute form of anemia with correct and timely intensive care eliminated in 21-30 days, followed by restoration of the function of all systems and organs. In general, the earlier the diagnosis was made and treatment started, the higher the chances of recovery;
  • Chronic anemia takes much longer to treat (time intervals vary from person to person), it is more difficult and there are high risks that the dog will never fully recover (it will be necessary to undergo almost lifelong specific therapy with a certain period of time).

Predictions:

  • hemolytic anemia: usually benign.
  • autoimmune pathologies, poisoning: from cautious to unfavorable.
  • anemia in oncology: always unfavorable, the animal dies despite supportive therapy.

What causes anemia

As already noted, anemia is not an independent disease; it is always a symptom of some primary pathology. Main causes of anemia:

To make a diagnosis, a general (cellular) blood test is usually done. The veterinarian just needs to pay attention to three main indicators: hemoglobin, the number of red blood cells and the color indicator (how saturated the red blood cells are with hemoglobin).

The following anemias are determined by analysis:

  • normochromic;
  • hypochromic;
  • hyperchromic.

Normochromic anemia is characterized by a normal hemoglobin content in red blood cells, but at the same time the number of red blood cells themselves decreases. The color indicator in the analyzes is normal - approximately equal to 1.

At hypochromic anemia in red blood cells the level of hemoglobin is low. In this case, the color indicator becomes less than 1. In addition, the drop in the total hemoglobin level is more pronounced than the decrease total number red blood cells This kind of anemia is always iron deficiency.

Hyperchromic anemia is accompanied by a sharp drop in the level of red blood cells, but at the same time, their hemoglobin sharply increases. In addition, the size and shape of red blood cells changes, and the level of immature cells increases.

A decrease in hematocrit level below 37% also indicates anemia. This is the same indicator of the level of red blood cells.

In addition to the main indicators (hematocrit, color index and hemoglobin level), the levels of monocytes and reticulocytes sharply decrease.

Anemia is a disease that develops not only in humans, but also in animals. It occurs due to a decrease in the level of red blood cells - these cells are associated with oxygen supply body. A lack of red blood cells can have a detrimental effect on the condition of the dog’s organs and systems and significantly worsen its condition. How to promptly recognize the presence of anemia in a dog, and how is this disease treated?

There are several types of this disease:

  • Posthemorrhagic anemia. It occurs due to blood loss, and it does not matter whether the bleeding is internal or external. It may appear as a result of trauma affecting the blood vessels circulatory system And internal organs. Of course, it is extremely difficult to detect a disease if the bleeding is internal, especially if we are talking about a chronic process. But you can notice blanching of the mucous membranes, and subcutaneous hemorrhages of a pinpoint type often appear.
  • Hypoplastic anemia. This form of the disease is associated with a lack of any microelements, proteins or iron, copper, zinc, selenium, B vitamins or folic acid. If the pet receives a complete diet enriched with useful elements, hypoplastic anemia may develop due to damage to bone marrow cells by toxic substances. Toxins can accumulate in the body due to past infectious diseases or impaired metabolism.
  • Nutritional anemia. Belongs to the category of hypoplastic anemia. Develops in puppies with early age if they get it wrong, unbalanced diet. It may be associated with a lack of iron in the diet; the pathology of impaired absorption from the intestines is much less common.
  • Aplastic form of pathology. Develops as a result severe violations in the activity of the hematopoietic system. Pathology concerns not only the formation of red blood cells, but also other blood cells. Complicated hypoplastic anemia can develop over time into aplastic anemia.

In addition, veterinarians can diagnose regenerative and non-regenerative forms of anemia in dogs. With the first type of pathology, the body is able to compensate for the loss of red blood cells by producing new ones quite quickly, but with the second form, rapid recovery does not occur.

The occurrence of the disease can be affected by the following conditions and processes:

  • Injuries that cause large blood loss.
  • Excessive internal bleeding formed in gastrointestinal tract(arise due to strong inflammatory processes or infectious diseases).
  • Infectious diseases (most often anemia develops against the background of tick-borne infestation); in most cases, small dogs suffer from anemia.
  • Immune-mediated (autoimmune) diseases that cause the body's systems to destroy its own red blood cells.
  • Reception medicines, for example, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which often cause bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.
  • Aphanipterosis - infection. As with tick-borne infestations, there is increased danger for representatives dwarf breeds and puppies.
  • Poisoning of a dog with toxic substances or heavy metals, causing severe intoxication of the body.
  • Ailments in chronic form(often dogs, especially older ones, suffer from renal failure and oncology), in the treatment of which they use medications, reducing the process of red blood cell production.

Symptoms of anemia can be different and depend directly on the causes of its development.

Symptoms and signs of anemia in dogs

The main function of red blood cells is to carry oxygen, which is extremely important for their functioning, to all tissues and organs. Therefore, a decrease in the level of red blood cells leads to lethargy in the dog, and it is difficult for the animal to endure physical activity. The pet is increasingly in a lying position, does not show activity, and gets up only when needed.

The pet's appetite decreases, or it may even lose its appetite. With anemia, paleness or blueness of the mucous membranes is observed; if you feel the dog’s gums, then with anemia they are cold.

If the disease does not appear due to bleeding, but against the background of severe intoxication or helminthic or tick infestation, then these symptoms develop at a slow pace. Most often dog owners long time and have no idea that their pet is sick.

During autoimmune anemia More severe symptoms may occur:

  • Dyspnea.
  • Malfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract - vomiting, loose stools.
  • Polyuria is an increase in the amount of urine (does not always occur).
  • Polydipsia - increased thirst, the pet drinks a very large amount of water.
  • Feverish condition.

During the examination, tachycardia, systolic murmurs, rapid breathing, and jaundice may be detected. Urine may be brown due to staining with hemoglobin or bilirubin. Ultrasound and other research methods reveal enlargement of organs - liver, spleen, and lymph nodes.

Which dogs are at risk?

Anemia can develop in absolutely all dogs, purebreds, mixed breeds, adults or puppies. But dogs at particular risk include those with a history of stomach ulcers or duodenum, as well as animals with hereditary pathologies.

This also includes greyhounds, since these breeds are prone to diseases infectious origin, and those, in turn, lead to the development of anemia.

Diagnosing the disease in dogs

Anemia is detected through a blood test. The most commonly used method for determining the hemocrit value is carried out within the framework of clinical analysis blood. If the indicator is 35% below normal, the pet will be diagnosed with anemia.

Among other tests to diagnose anemia, the following are taken:

A set of measures allows you to find out exactly what caused the dog’s anemia. Based on the results, timely effective treatment is prescribed.

Therapeutic treatment of anemia in dogs

Considering the above, we can agree that there is no single method of treating anemia. Therapy directly depends on what caused the disease. In addition, when prescribing treatment, the veterinarian evaluates the pet’s condition, taking into account its age and body characteristics.

For anemia, the following procedures can be used:

During the treatment process, monitoring the pet’s condition is extremely important, and regular monitoring after treatment.

At adequate treatment signs acute form aplastic anemia is eliminated after 21-28 days. Chronic course Diseases of this type are more complex and require a very serious approach. Even after a course of therapy, the animal cannot fully recover for a long time.

Naturally, a young animal recovers faster from any type of illness, and the disease is relatively easier. U young body recovery period, including after surgery, takes less time.

Anemia in dogs on video

Prognosis for dogs with anemia

Of course, the prognosis for a pet with anemia depends on the type and form of the disease, the state of the body and other factors. With hemolytic anemia, dogs of any age, even older ones, recover fairly quickly. Naturally, if it was carried out timely diagnosis and treatment.

If anemia is caused by intoxication with toxic substances or autoimmune diseases, then the forecasts are less favorable.

Anemia associated with cancer, in most cases, ends in the death of the animal, since the dog’s body reacts poorly to chemotherapy or surgery.

Anemia is a serious illness, so it is important to help your pet in time!

Loading...Loading...