Anemia in dogs: symptoms and treatment, as well as causes

Types of anemia in dogs

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 vitamin components - 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.

Anemia during pregnancy: what kind of disease and how to overcome it

During the Renaissance, beauties performed bloodletting on themselves to appear mysteriously pale, and lost consciousness, showing the sophistication of their nature. In the modern world, the reasons for pallor in women, in particular those expecting a child, are much more commonplace. Anemia (decreased hemoglobin levels) is a disease that is diagnosed in almost 40% of pregnancy cases.

Anemia is a condition in which there are too few red blood cells or a reduced ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen and iron (in this case we speak of reduced hemoglobin).

Iron-dependent tissue enzymes can influence nerve and muscle cell function. A deficiency of red blood cells in the blood can lead to impaired fetal growth and premature birth.

Anemia is a very common condition during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

According to WHO, a direct link has been found between severe forms of anemia and the development of bleeding during childbirth. The good news is that iron deficiency can be corrected with the help of special supplements.

Medicines and pregnancy: how not to harm your baby

Causes of anemia during pregnancy

Anemia results from an imbalance between the production of red blood cells and their loss. Therefore, the causes of anemia can occur at these two levels.

When anemia occurs during pregnancy, the body does not produce enough red blood cells, often due to lack of nutrients.

In more rare cases, it may occur during childbirth if there is significant blood loss.

Iron is an essential element in the production of hemoglobin; when deficient, it is the main cause of anemia during pregnancy.

During pregnancy, the fetus uses the mother's red blood cells for growth and development, especially in the last three months of pregnancy.

If an expectant mother accumulates excess red blood cells in her bone marrow before pregnancy, these can be used as “reserves” to meet the needs of her baby.

If at the very beginning of pregnancy there was already reduced hemoglobin, anemia during pregnancy cannot be avoided.

In addition to iron deficiency, the development of anemia can be affected by a lack of folic acid (vitamin B9) and vitamin B12. B9 deficiency during pregnancy is often associated with iron deficiency, since folic acid and iron are found in the same foods.

Research shows that B9 may help reduce the risk of having a baby with certain brain and spinal cord defects if taken before conception and in the first trimester. Before planning a pregnancy, doctors recommend taking a test to determine the concentration of B9 in the body.

The vitamin is often prescribed for use throughout the entire period of pregnancy.

Vitamin B12 is important for the formation of red blood cells and protein synthesis. During pregnancy, it is more often observed in women with poor nutrition or expectant mothers who adhere to vegetarianism. Including animal products such as milk, meat, eggs and poultry in your diet can prevent vitamin B12 deficiency.

Ginger root is beneficial during pregnancy and breastfeeding

How does gestational anemia manifest?

Early on, you may mistake symptoms of anemia for normal signs of pregnancy. Some pregnant women are completely unaware of reduced hemoglobin and iron deficiency.

Symptoms may include:

pallor of the skin, lips, nails, palms of the hands;

fatigue for no apparent reason;

dizziness;

labored breathing;

fast heartbeat (tachycardia).

Symptoms of anemia may resemble other conditions or health problems, so you should always consult with your obstetrician/gynecologist during your pregnancy.

Diagnosis and treatment

Anemia is usually detected during prenatal testing using a routine blood test for hemoglobin or hematocrit levels. Diagnostic procedures to detect anemia may include additional blood tests and other tests.

Hemoglobin is the part of the blood that distributes oxygen from the lungs to the tissues of the body.

Hematocrit is a measurement of the percentage of red blood cells found in a specific volume of blood.

If iron deficiency is suspected, additional tests may be required, such as serum iron, total iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation, and plasma or serum ferritin.

In most cases, the treatment for anemia caused by pregnancy is simple: more iron. Your healthcare provider may prescribe supplemental iron in addition to your prenatal vitamins.

Because treatment depends on the cause, it is important to talk with your doctor about your specific needs. When anemia is caused by a vitamin deficiency or medical condition, you may need to take B12, folic acid supplements, or treat the underlying disorder.

Are sex and pregnancy compatible?

How to Prevent Anemia When You're Expecting

Although not all cases of anemia are preventable, getting enough iron in your diet can help you avoid the condition. Eating a healthy and balanced diet during pregnancy helps maintain levels of iron and other important nutrients needed for the health of the mother and growing baby.

Good dietary sources of iron include the following:

meat (beef, pork, lamb, liver and other meat products);

poultry (chicken, duck, turkey, liver);

fish (clams, mussels, oysters, sardines and anchovies);

leafy greens of the cabbage family (broccoli, cabbage, spinach);

legumes (peas, beans, beans);

whole grain bread and yeast rolls;

iron-fortified white bread, pasta, rice and cereals.

Vitamin supplements containing at least 400 mcg of folic acid are recommended for all women of childbearing age and during pregnancy.

We were advised by family medicine doctor Kristina Shevchenko.

Source: https://tsn.ua/ru/lady/zdorovye/ginekologiya/anemiya-pri-beremennosti-chto-za-bolezn-i-kak-ee-preodolet-1346985.html

Factors causing anemia in dogs

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 - flea infestation. 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.

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.

Probably every dog owner has sometimes noticed that his beloved pet for some reason refuses or gets tired of the physical activity he was used to before. 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 arise about the pet’s health. Often the cause of this phenomenon can be a disease such as anemia.

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 refuse to eat altogether. 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.

Diet for anemia

Owners must clearly understand what to feed a sick pet so that its healing is as quick and effective as possible. First of all, you need to increase the amount of food your dog consumes, which will sufficiently contain B vitamins and iron-containing components. An excellent option for this is liver, boiled, not fried or raw.

nutritional supplements: their selection and dosage is made by the attending physician; some of them, such as Ferroplex and Ferum, have proven themselves to be excellent for anemia. The volume of their use largely depends on the age and weight of the pet;
quality food: the dog’s diet should contain enough meat, fresh vegetables, dairy products, and fish. Make sure that the products are not very fatty and are well absorbed by the pet’s body;
vitamin complexes: those containing a lot of iron are especially important. They can be mixed into the dog’s dishes, and in case of chronic anemia, they can be administered intramuscularly;
the animal should eat at least three times a day, in large portions. If there is no appetite, then do not force your pet to eat;
If the dog is accustomed to food, then when purchasing, carefully read its composition. Give preference to those in the production of which waste from meat production is used; they contain more useful substances. Do not skimp or buy cheap or generic types of feed under any circumstances.

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.

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 pit bull terriers and greyhounds, since these breeds are prone to diseases of infectious origin, which, in turn, lead to the development of anemia.

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, such as heartworm disease; treatment for dogs is described here. When anemia occurs, the owner may observe symptoms of the disease in the pet, such as:

Lethargy and depression.
Fatigue, decreased activity.
Bad mood, lethargy.
Drowsiness.
Decreased appetite.
Paleness of the mucous membranes and minor hemorrhages on them.
Arrhythmia and increased heart rate.
Temperature increase.
Traces of blood in stool and urine.
Shallow and rapid breathing.
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.

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.

When diagnosing anemia, a series of diagnostic examinations are prescribed, the purpose of which is to identify parasites that affect the destruction of red blood cells, as well as cells with an abnormal structure, signaling the presence of leukemia. Among the diagnostic methods, a bone marrow biopsy is often used - the analysis provides information about its condition and what caused the anemia.

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

blood for biochemistry;
urine test (general);
feces for gastrointestinal parasites.

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.

A few words at the end

Remember that anemia is only a symptom, while there can be many causes of anemia. Some of them may be trivial, others may portend very serious illnesses.

If you notice your dog's loss of appetite, apathy, less desire to play, rapid fatigue or pale mucous membranes, contact your veterinarian for basic blood tests.

Monitor your pet closely and do not hesitate to visit your veterinarian if there are any alarming symptoms or abnormalities. Remember that in most cases, the sooner you react, the faster and better your friend will recover.

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:

intravenous infusion aimed at increasing blood volume;
transfusion of blood components, red blood cells, whole blood, platelets, or fresh frozen plasma are taken;
bone marrow transfusion;
antibiotic therapy (prescribed if an infection is detected);
a course of vitamin K1 (phylloquinone or phytomenadione), which normalizes blood clotting processes;
use of anti-parasite agents;
prescribing medications containing useful elements - iron, phosphates, potassium;
carrying out general therapeutic measures aimed at maintaining the animal’s body;
if necessary, surgical intervention.

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.

Treatment

After diagnosing anemia in an animal that shows whether this is a separate phenomenon or a symptom of another dangerous disease, treatment of the disease should be started immediately. It will depend on the severity of the pet's condition. Treatment can include both medications and surgery.

If the disease has become severe and already threatens the life of the animal, then 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, when prescribing treatment, a veterinarian 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.

How to prevent the development of anemia

It is important to understand that the state of general immunity does not in any way affect the relapse of the disease. Anemia can and should be prevented:

promptly treat your dog for ectoparasites and worms;
timely treat all emerging diseases, especially those affecting the hematopoietic system;
feed your pet correctly and in a balanced manner;
keep chronic liver and kidney diseases under control;
monitor the circulation of toxic substances at home, excluding your pet’s contact with them;
promptly supplement the diet with vitamins and minerals if the situation requires it.

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