Raise hemoglobin in a dog with diseased kidneys. Low and high hemoglobin in a dog: causes and help. Main causes of the disease

The Greek word “anemia” consists of two parts: “no” and “blood”, which in life looks like a violation of the composition of the blood, or more precisely, a decrease in the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin per unit volume, that is, anemia. Erythrocytes, or red blood cells, are saturated with oxygen in the lungs and carry it to all organs. Hemoglobin, an iron-containing blood protein, maintains stable metabolism and gas exchange in the body. Changes in the composition of a dog's blood lead to cellular oxygen starvation.

You can notice the appearance of anemia in dogs by the following signs:

• Pale mucous membrane of the oral cavity (cheeks, lips, palate). It can be light pink or interspersed with white spots.
• Lethargy of the pet. The dog is reluctant to go for walks, eats without appetite (sometimes completely refuses food), is unable to withstand physical activity, and most often lies down.
• Shortness of breath, rapid breathing.
• Increased thirst.
• Fever.
• Vomiting and diarrhea.
• An increase in the amount of urine or a brown coloration.

One dog will exhibit several of the above symptoms of anemia at the same time, but not all at once. The combination of certain signs of a blood disease indicates to specialists the possible causes of its occurrence:

Forms of the disease

The choice of treatment for such a serious disease directly depends on the causes of its occurrence, the age, condition and characteristics of the dog’s body.

Attention! There is no single treatment for canine anemia. Each case requires an individual approach.

During the treatment process, the veterinarian must constantly monitor the dog’s condition in order to adjust his prescriptions if necessary. Young animals can tolerate any procedures much easier than older dogs and recover faster. After recovery, all possible measures should be taken to prevent a similar condition in the future.

Prevention of anemia

The easiest way to keep your dog healthy, including reducing the risk of anemia, is prevention. There is no universal advice on how to carry it out. Every owner must monitor their pet’s diet and routine vaccinations. It would not be a bad idea to give vitamin complexes. In case of injuries accompanied by blood loss, you should immediately consult a doctor. From childhood, the puppy must learn that you cannot pick up food on the street, no matter how appetizing it looks. Puppies and young animals should get plenty of physical activity on walks.

Anti-flea/anti-tick collars can help protect against fleas or ticks. All infectious diseases must be treated in the early stages.

By taking preventative measures, you can completely protect your dog from anemia or give it a chance for a quick recovery if it gets sick.

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 the oxygen supply of the 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 can appear as a result of injury that affects the vessels of the 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. It develops in puppies from an early age if they receive improper, unbalanced nutrition. 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 of severe disturbances 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 the gastrointestinal tract (occurs due to severe 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.
• Taking medications, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which often cause bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.
• Aphanipterosis - infection. As with tick infestations, there is an increased danger for representatives of toy breeds and puppies.
• Poisoning of a dog with toxic substances or heavy metals, causing severe intoxication of the body.
• Ailments in a chronic form (dogs, especially older ones, often suffer from kidney failure and oncology), the treatment of which uses medications that reduce the production of red blood cells.

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 do not suspect that their pet is sick for a long time.

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 a special risk group includes dogs with a history of stomach or duodenal ulcers, as well as animals with hereditary pathologies.

This also includes greyhounds, since these breeds are prone to diseases of infectious origin, and these, 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 as part of a clinical blood test. 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.

With adequate treatment, the signs of the acute form of aplastic anemia disappear after 21-28 days. The chronic course of diseases of this type is more complex and requires 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. In a young body, the 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 timely diagnosis and treatment were carried out.

If anemia is caused by intoxication with toxic substances or autoimmune diseases, then the prognosis is 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!

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. Obviously, when anemia develops in dogs, the symptoms are associated precisely 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

Based on 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 correct action for the owner would be to 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 severe anemia. At the very beginning, the pathology may be asymptomatic. Therefore, you should not wait for all the signs of anemia to appear; pallor of the mucous membranes in combination with increased fatigue is already a good reason to take a blood test to check the cellular composition.

Types of anemia

Depending on the pathological processes of anemia, there are:

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 condition. 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:

• The acute form of anemia with correct and timely intensive therapy is 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 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.

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 level of hemoglobin is more pronounced than the decrease in the total number of 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.

With anemia, the level of hemoglobin, which is needed to supply cells and tissues with oxygen, decreases, and the number of red blood cells decreases as a result of heavy blood loss or the destruction of red blood cells in the body by the disease.

All dogs are susceptible to anemia, regardless of age and gender, but some animals are at increased risk, in particular dogs prone to infectious and gastrointestinal diseases.

Causes of anemia in dogs

There are many causes of anemia, but one of the most common is blood loss due to severe trauma.

Anemia in dogs occurs due to infectious and other serious diseases, for example, piroplasmosis, hepatosis, cancer, chronic kidney disease, liver, tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, bladder and spleen, diseases that prevent normal blood clotting.

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia is hereditary and develops with a deficiency of the enzyme pyruvate kinase (more common in Basenjis and Beagles) or a deficiency of the enzyme phosphorus-ructokinase. Hereditary anemia is rare. The second form of this type of anemia is when the body's immune system attacks its own red blood cells, destroying them.

When poisoned by chemicals or drugs, some dogs develop anemia. There are cases when an animal experienced anemia when treated with medications that interfere with the production of red blood cells.

The cause may also be insufficiency of hematopoiesis, lack of vitamin B12, copper, iron, folic acid. It can be congenital or acquired. Iron deficiency is rare in dogs and is often a secondary sign of anemia resulting from excessive blood loss.

Large numbers of worms, fleas or ticks can cause anemia in puppies and small dogs.

Symptoms

In mild cases of anemia, it is difficult to notice the symptoms of the disease, and a blood test is often required to determine the percentage of red blood cells and confirm the diagnosis. Anemia develops against the background of another disease, so even if symptoms are present, it is difficult to determine the true cause on your own.

Due to the low level of hemoglobin, oxygen starvation of cells occurs, as a result of which symptoms of anemia such as lethargy and decreased activity appear.

The primary sign of anemia is pallor of the oral mucosa, in particular the gums, which become pale pink or almost white. Pale gums and flaccidity are good reasons for a blood test.

Other symptoms of anemia are rapid pulse, difficulty breathing, decreased appetite, and with hemolytic anemia, jaundice appears.

Treatment of anemia in dogs

The diagnosis is made based on the results of blood and bone marrow tests. The method of treatment depends on the cause of anemia.

The introduction of hemostatic agents and blood transfusions are carried out in case of severe external or internal bleeding.

If the cause of anemia is poisoning, then the animal is administered glucocorticoids and detoxifying agents, multivitamins, corticosteroids, depending on the cause of poisoning.

Replenishing the lack of vitamins and restoring the balance of nutrients is carried out by introducing vitamin B12, folic acid, and iron substance. Products high in iron and vitamin B are introduced into the animal’s diet, for example, raw beef liver and spleen. You can mix up to 2 teaspoons of finely chopped barley or wheat (or wheat, barley juice, powder) into food. The chlorophyll contained in these plants helps produce blood cells.

Autoimmune anemia in dogs is treated with drugs that suppress the activity of the immune system. But treatment is not always effective due to frequent relapses, which lead to the death of the animal.

Hemoglobin can be increased, but it is not always possible to cure anemia, it all depends on the cause of anemia. For example, by eliminating fleas and worms and providing proper nutrition, you can restore the dog’s health, but if the cause is intractable infectious diseases, then the chances of recovery are reduced.

Prevention

There are no universal preventive measures, because the causes of anemia are different and it is impossible to protect your pet from all dangers. But you can reduce the risk of developing anemia if you provide the animal with proper care, including proper feeding, regular examination, visiting a veterinarian, vaccination, and thereby protect it from the development of diseases that contribute to anemia.

When treating diseases, it is important to frequently do blood tests in order to identify the body’s negative reaction to the drugs administered, and in case of blood loss, a well-designed treatment plan is important.

It has long been known that blood is the “container” of the vital forces of the body. It is no coincidence that they say about an exhausted person “he is bleeding.” It is not surprising that diseases of the hematopoietic system are so dangerous. Moreover, we are talking not only about man, but also about our smaller brothers. In particular, anemia in dogs is particularly dangerous. What is it, and how can this pathology threaten your tailed friend? The answer to this question is in our article!

If we translate this term in a simplified way, we can again come across the expression “bloodless.” Of course, with this disease, your dog will not look like a fruit that has been in a juicer, and the blood in its veins will not stop flowing, but its quality will drop significantly. Moving away from the lyrics and turning to scientific knowledge, you can learn that “anemia” is a severe pathological condition in which the number of both the blood cell itself and the red blood cells in which it is located sharply decreases.

If you didn’t sleep during school biology lessons, you will probably easily remember that this same hemoglobin is responsible for the transfer of oxygen to the tissues and organs of the body and the evacuation of carbon dioxide. Accordingly, you do not need to have deep imagination in order to imagine the consequences of the absence or even a small amount of such a useful substance in the body. However, first things first.

Classification

So, what types of anemia is divided into in the “wild nature”? Alas, there are plenty of her types. Let's give the simplest classification that almost all practicing veterinarians follow:

• Posthemorrhagic.“Fasting” means after, and doctors call bleeding “hemorrhage.” It's simple - if your dog is injured and has lost a lot of blood, then the number of red blood cells in his body will be much lower than normal for some time.

• Hemolytic.“Heme” - blood, “lysio” - destruction, decomposition. This is the name for anemia caused by some pathogenic factor (substance, microorganism) that contributes to the destruction of red blood cells in the bloodstream of the animal.

• Hypo- and aplastic anemia in dogs. Sometimes they are called trophic. The idea is that the body simply does not have enough resources to build red blood cells. Of course, dogs are rarely brought to the state of a concentration camp prisoner, but with the confluence of certain factors, this form of this pathological condition is possible.

• There is also regenerative anemia in dogs and non-regenerative anemia. In the first case, the body can compensate for the loss of red blood cells by producing new ones, while in the other this does not happen.

Read also: If your dog's eyes are watery: causes, treatment

It should be noted that a picture of the latter type of anemia can be obtained even with severe blood loss, when the dog’s body is forced to spend resources and nutrients both on wound healing and on replenishing red blood cell reserves in the body. The situation is further complicated by the fact that in this state the dog is often not very interested in food. Owners are sometimes knocked off their feet because they simply don’t know what to feed their sick pet. Therefore, the supply of the required amount of nutrients and proteins simply cannot occur as usual. This is often how the hypochromic type of anemia develops.

If you translate this term from unknown Latin, you will get something like “poor-colored.” This word means that the body simply does not have iron to build hemoglobin and red blood cells. It occurs in dogs whose owners are absolutely indifferent to the nutrition of their pets. As for the course of the disease, it can be chronic and acute.

Read also: Eimeriosis in cats and dogs: treatment and prevention

Finally, many worms are not satisfied with simply absorbing nutrients from the host’s digestive tract, but literally feed on it, tearing off small pieces of the intestinal mucosa (what to do, everyone needs protein). Of course, local blood loss in this case is negligible, but if there are a lot of worms... This can become a deadly problem.

Reason number three is poisons. Especially those that are aimed at combating rodents. There is no need to tell for a long time how many dogs that were not trained by their owners and picked up all sorts of nasty things on a walk fell victim to their treachery. Perhaps this is the most dangerous variety, since the disease in this case develops quickly, and sometimes even at lightning speed. Often there are no normal antidotes, and it takes a lot of time to determine the true “hero of the occasion.” Simply put, poisoning with hemolytic poisons is deadly, and the largest percentage of deaths occur in such cases.

In rare cases, autoimmune hemolytic anemia occurs in dogs.. It occurs if, due to some “exquisite” genetic disease, the body’s immune system suddenly receives an “order” to eliminate... its own red blood cells!