How dogs die from hemolytic anemia. Symptoms and treatment of anemia in dogs (autoimmune hemolytic anemia and blood transfusion)

Hello, dear readers!

Anemia in dogs (anemia) is a group of symptoms, the common fact of which is a decrease in hemoglobin in the blood, and at the same time the number of red blood cells decreases. Hemoglobin colors blood red. It is one of the components of red blood cells- red blood cells formed in the bone marrow and moving into the blood. Red blood cells live for 2 months. Then, having died, they are removed from the body, and the blood is renewed with young red blood cells. In a healthy body there is always the right amount of them. An imbalance of red blood cells can be caused by either decreased production or increased loss.

Anemia in dogs - what is it? The concept of “anemia” is only a symptom that implies clarification of what specific disease caused the deficiency of red blood cells.

Causes of anemia in dogs

Diseases that can cause anemia are divided into three categories:

Diseases that provoke the destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis)

Diseases that cause atrophy of the reproductive function of red blood cells in the bone marrow

• Chronic serious illnesses internal organs;
• Skimpy or not balanced diet;
• work disorder immune system;
• Pathology thyroid gland(hypothyroidism), making it unable to produce enough hormones (thyroxine and triiodothyronine). The result is a slowdown metabolic process in the dog's body;
• Poisoning by toxins or chemicals;
• Malignant neoplasms(neoplasia).

Symptoms of Anemia in Dogs

Hemoglobin supplies the body's tissues with oxygen. An animal suffering from anemia will experience symptoms caused by a lack of oxygen. There is no strict description of the signs of this disease. Its symptoms will depend on the cause of the disease.

As a rule, the presence of anemia in a dog is indicated by:

1. Pathologically pale mucous membranes (pale pink or even white). This is especially true for the oral cavity;
2. Refusal to eat or decreased appetite;
3. Progressive weakness;
4. Low performance;
5. Tendency to sleep;
6. Dyspnea;
7. Rapid pulse;
8. The presence of pustules on the skin (pyoderma) indicates the presence of infection (pus-forming cocci).
9. The appearance of jaundice (indicates possible hemolytic anemia).

Dogs of all breeds are susceptible to this disease. At mild form the above symptoms may not be observed. If signs are present, the animal should be immediately taken to the veterinary clinic. It is important to start treatment in a timely manner - oxygen deficiency can cause irreversible consequences.

Treatment of anemia in dogs, medications.

The prognosis of treatment depends on the severity of the disease and general condition dogs:

• Severe forms of the disease that threaten the animal’s life require blood transfusion. We are talking about atrophy of the reproductive function of red blood cells in the bone marrow or hemolysis. If necessary, blood is transfused multiple times. This procedure allows the necessary oxygen and other nutrients to be delivered to the tissue cells and thereby stabilize the animal’s condition. But for direct treatment it is necessary to identify the cause of the disease and prescribe appropriate therapy.
• To stop bleeding of internal organs, hemostatic medications, for example, Vicasol, are prescribed.
• Used in the treatment of gradual anemia folic acid, iron, .
• In case of poisoning by toxins or poisons, steroid hormones are used - corticosteroids, glucocorticoids (prednisolone) and antidotes (antidotes). To increase the effectiveness of treatment, the spleen is sometimes removed.
• Autoimmune anemia is treated with immunosuppressants - drugs that reduce the dog's immunity. But this therapy is not always effective. It often leads to side effects and complications leading to the death of the animal.
• Diet food is an important component of therapy. Raw liver is very useful. It contains a lot of microelements, especially iron. Prescribed for anemia caused by iron deficiency.
• Vitamin therapy

This disease cannot be guaranteed to be prevented. But preventive measures will help raise the animal strong and able to withstand many ailments that cause anemia. You should take care of it good nutrition, go for walks with him a lot fresh air, regularly visit the veterinarian for examinations, get the required vaccinations, and it is useful to visit the dog lovers forum.

Associated with immune disorders. The animal's body regards its tissues as foreign and seeks to damage them. As a result, hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells) occurs, causing anemia.

The main reason for this is genetic predisposition. Often occurs as a result of cancer, systemic lupus erythematosus, or infection with infectious diseases. Particularly located towards this species anemic poodles, bobtails, Irish setters, cocker spaniels. The most vulnerable age period in dogs from 2 to 8 years. Bitches get sick much more often than males.

Diagnosed by laboratory analysis blood smears to determine external changes in red blood cells. Treatment involves taking medications that reduce the dog's immunity (immunosuppressants) and steroid hormones (corticosteroids). In severe forms of the disease, a blood transfusion is performed and the spleen is removed. Fatalities with this disease account for 40%.

Symptoms of autoimmune hemolytic anemia are often subtle. Often this is:

• darkening of urine to brown;
• darkening of stool to black;
• pale or icteric mucous membranes;
• muscle pain;
• refusal to eat or loss of appetite;
• severe weakness;
• heavy breathing;
• rapid pulse;
• enlarged spleen and peripheral lymph nodes.

Test for anemia in dogs

To determine the diagnosis, an extensive blood test is done.

A quick diagnosis can be made by examining hematocrit - the volume of red blood cells in the blood. Hematocrit shows the content of red blood cells in the blood, expressed as a percentage. If it is 35% lower than normal, then the dog is anemic.

Further research into the cause of anemia is done in the laboratory:

Good luck everyone, see you in the next article.

It is no secret to anyone what important role plays blood in the body of all mammals. The quality and quantity of this invaluable liquid directly affects the general condition of a person or animal and its life expectancy.

In our article we will look at what happens if anemia occurs in dogs, as well as how and how it is treated. Possession of such information gives owners the opportunity to track pathology in their pets. early stages and seek help from doctors in time.

Types of anemia

Anemia is otherwise called anemia, but this does not mean that the disease reduces blood volume. The amount of blood in this pathology remains unchanged, but its qualitative composition changes. This is expressed in a decrease in the amount of hemoglobin and is most often accompanied by a decrease in the number of red blood cells in the blood.

If we remember that the role of hemoglobin is to deliver oxygen to the cells of the body and remove carbon dioxide from them, then it becomes clear how important it is for the dog’s blood to have normal amount this protein.

Anemia has a classification and is divided into several types:

1. Massive bleeding after injury or surgery causes a decrease in the number of red blood cells in the dog's body, resulting in posthemorrhagic anemia.
2. When exposed to certain substances or microorganisms, red blood cells are destroyed and this is the cause of hemolytic anemia.
3. When a dog’s body does not have enough of its own resources to produce red blood cells, hypoplastic and aplastic anemia develops.
4. If a dog has regenerative anemia, then his body can restore the lost volume of red blood cells; with non-regenerative anemia, such restoration does not occur.

The cause of non-regenerative anemia, as well as post-hemorrhagic anemia, can be heavy bleeding, after which the dog needs a lot of effort to heal the wound and replenish the supply of red blood cells.

The problem is that after an injury or surgery, the animal sometimes loses its appetite and, accordingly, its body no longer receives enough food. nutrients. The dog does not have enough iron to “build” new blood cells, and a type of disease occurs called hypochromic, that is, low-color anemia.

Any of these conditions are dangerous for dogs, so anemia must be treated under the supervision of an experienced veterinarian.

What causes the disease?

The reasons why anemia occurs are quite varied, but it makes sense to consider the most common of them:

Less common causes of anemia include tumors affecting the red blood marrow, infectious diseases, chronic diseases kidneys, exposure to radiation and long-term use toxic drugs.

Manifestations of the disease

Signs of anemia are associated with the fact that the supply of oxygen to cells in the dog’s body is impaired. It must be taken into account that the symptoms of anemia are often mistaken for other diseases, for example. When anemia occurs, the owner may observe symptoms of the disease in the pet, such as:

1. Lethargy and depression.
2. Fatigue, decreased activity.
3. Bad mood, lethargy.
4. Drowsiness.
5. Decreased appetite.
6. Paleness of the mucous membranes and minor hemorrhages on them.
7. Arrhythmia and increased heart rate.
8. Temperature increase.
9. Traces of blood in stool and urine.
10. Shallow and rapid breathing.
11. Increased abdominal volume.

However, the presence of such signs does not allow an accurate diagnosis to be made, since anemia has symptoms similar to other pathologies, and therefore treatment of the dog should begin with instrumental studies.

Establishing diagnosis

The main diagnostic method for determining anemia is clinical analysis blood. Based on this study alone, it is already possible to identify anemia. It is more difficult to understand what caused the pathology, so the veterinarian may prescribe:

Despite wide range Research sometimes fails to determine the exact cause of anemia in a dog.

Treatment

The treatment tactics for anemia in dogs are developed by a veterinarian based on data about what caused this pathological condition:

Proper treatment, balanced nutrition and good care will help your for a pet recover in a month and a half, and in case of chronic anemia, therapy will be prescribed on an ongoing basis.

Prevention and feeding of a dog with anemia

There are no preventative measures that can completely protect your dog from anemia, but it is recommended to follow classic rules disease prevention:

1. Vaccinate in a timely manner.
2. Visit your veterinarian regularly.
3. Make sure that the dog does not come into contact with toxic substances.
4. Coordinate the use of any medications with your doctor.
5. Pay special attention to your diet. You need to feed your dog in a balanced manner, i.e. include in the menu foods rich in vitamins and minerals. Meat, buckwheat and liver, which contain a lot of iron, are well suited for these purposes. Choosing industrial feed, carefully study its composition and give preference to feed made from meat waste, as they contain more nutrients.
6. Make sure your pet eats regularly, at least 3 times a day. If the dog poor appetite, you can try feeding her often and in small portions, and also try to find the food that she likes.
7. If necessary, the deficiency can be corrected useful substances food additives. Pregnant and lactating bitches, who often have low hemoglobin, are recommended to be given B vitamins and iron tablets. Choose the right drug and the doctor at the veterinary clinic will help you calculate the dosage.

A dog with anemia can live a long and full life, if you start treatment on time and strictly follow the recommendations of your doctor.

Anemia in dogs is not an independent disease, it is more symptom the other is the 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 listed symptoms usually accompany severe 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 your 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 fast recovery 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 is a high risk that the dog will never fully recover (it will be necessary to carry out specific therapy almost for life at a certain period of time).

Predictions:

• hemolytic anemia: usually favorable.
• 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 anemias are characterized by normal content hemoglobin in red blood cells, but the number of red blood cells themselves decreases. The color indicator in the analyzes is normal - approximately equal to 1.

With hypochromic anemia, the level of hemoglobin in red blood cells 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 sharp drop 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.

Probably every dog ​​owner has sometimes noticed that his beloved pet for some reason refuses or gets tired of the usual physical activity. If this passes quickly, then this state of the animal does not cause any particular concern. But if this happens 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 may occur due to the fact that the lack of liquid component of the blood is replenished 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.

Not less tick infestation Flea infestation is dangerous. This is especially true for young animals and small breed dogs.

Poisoning caused by ingestion 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 with 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 is doing general analysis blood and urine. 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 bone marrow biopsy is performed. Sometimes from abdominal cavity A sample of free fluid is taken, 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 current health and what caused the disease.

If treatment was started on time, then after 3-4 weeks the symptoms of the disease stop. But when the disease turns into chronic form, then therapy may be delayed. Even after the dog will pass full course 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 him, carry out the necessary vaccinations, then this will help avoid serious illnesses which lead to anemia.

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Anemia in dogs is a condition of their body in which there is not enough hemoglobin or red blood cells in the blood. Red blood cells have a special function - they carry oxygen from the lungs to other organs. Accordingly, the development of anemia leads to the fact that organs and tissues begin to suffer from a lack of oxygen. In particularly serious cases, this can cause the death of the animal.

Erythrocytes - red blood cells containing hemoglobin - are formed in the bone marrow. They are based on a specific chemical element- iron. And this is true for both dogs and humans. The lifespan of these cells is about 2 months, after which the liver filters them from the blood, the main components are processed in the spleen, and the hemoglobin is sent back to Bone marrow to end up in new red blood cells. That's how life cycle red blood cell

At any stage of this process, various disorders are possible, which lead to the development of anemia. Thus, a deficiency of iron, as well as B vitamins and folic acid, leads to a lack of hemoglobin in blood cells. There are also diseases that block the restoration of blood cells. Others provoke premature breakdown of red blood cells - hemolysis.

As a rule, dogs do not have primary anemia associated with iron deficiency, although, for example, people suffer from it quite often. However, dogs have a slightly different metabolism, and for them anemia is not an independent disease, but a symptom of other diseases.

In this case, often the amount of blood in the dog’s body does not change, only the qualitative composition is disrupted. Moreover, intuitively the animal will try to improve blood quality by increasing water intake. And this, in turn, can even lead to an increase in the amount of blood in the vessels.

Select some breeds or age categories, most predisposed to the development of anemia, is not possible. It can only be said that animals that had diseases during childbirth fall into the risk zone. gastrointestinal tract or susceptibility to serious infectious diseases.

Causes of anemia in dogs

Anemia can be a consequence of a number of diseases. Highlight following reasons development of anemia:

Anemia in dogs is divided according to the most different signs. For example, there are regenerative and non-regenerative anemias in dogs.

Regenerative anemia in dogs is a condition in which the body is able to independently replace blood loss. Non-regenerative is a condition in which the body copes with the situation on its own.

Anemia can also be divided into primary and secondary. But, as already mentioned, primary anemia in dogs is extremely rare.

Symptoms of Anemia in Dogs

If anemia is associated with a sudden loss large quantity blood, then determining it will not be difficult, even if we are talking about internal bleeding. The animal's condition will deteriorate sharply, even to the point of loss of consciousness. The situation is complicated by the fact that in this case you need to act very quickly, otherwise you may not have time to save the animal.

In other cases, diagnosing anemia can be quite difficult. The most clear symptoms mucous membranes may become pale. Their color becomes pale pink or even almost white. In addition, the animal becomes more lethargic, quickly gets tired, and weakens.

Much more vivid and pronounced signs appear in the case of autoimmune anemia:

• dyspnea,
• vomiting, diarrhea,
• increased amount of urine
• increased thirst,
• fever.

Diagnostics

If the owner suspects anemia in his pet, then, first of all, veterinarians will do a blood test, checking the amount of hemoglobin in the blood. It is this indicator that allows us to accurately say whether the dog really has problems with anemia.

However, this is unlikely to be the end of the diagnosis, since for dogs it is very important to determine the cause of anemia. Without this it will be impossible to select suitable treatment. Iron supplements in most cases can only be maintenance therapy. It is the cause that needs to be treated, not the effect.

Treatment

When acute anemia To combat blood loss, blood transfusion is performed - blood transfusion for anemia in dogs. This allows you to quickly replenish the lack of blood. For some hereditary diseases Transfusions are also used, but not of pure blood, but of its products: plasma, red blood cells, and so on. A bone marrow transplant is also possible.

In parallel with eliminating the cause of the disease, it is also necessary to stimulate the production of new red blood cells and hemoglobin. To do this, dogs are given supplements of iron, potassium, phosphorus and other minerals, vitamin K1, folic acid, and so on.

Prognosis for sick dogs

Like treatment, prognosis depends entirely on the cause of the disease and the general condition of the dog’s body. So, if the cause of anemia is cancer tumor, then this most often leads to the death of the animal. This happens both because the body is weakened by a serious illness and because of aggressive chemotherapy.

Heavy chemical poisoning They also leave the dog little chance of being shown. However, this does not mean that there is no point in fighting for the life and health of an animal.

But if the cause of anemia is an external injury, and help was provided to the animal on time, then most likely the prognosis will be favorable.

It must be understood that many conditions leading to anemia are almost impossible to completely cure. Especially when it comes to hereditary diseases. While others, for example, helminthic infestation, although they require long-term treatment, make it possible to get rid of anemia completely.

Prevention