home Audience 3 Why does anemia develop in dogs and how to treat it. Anemia in dogs: treatment, symptoms, causes

Why does anemia develop in dogs and how to treat it. Anemia in dogs: treatment, symptoms, causes

Every dog owner has noticed at least once that his pet gets tired quickly or refuses to eat. Sometimes this does not cause any suspicion. What if this situation repeats itself systematically? Then bad feeling the dog makes you think that she is sick. The cause may be anemia in dogs.

Anemia or anemia is a dangerous disease in dogs associated with a violation of the composition of the blood. Such a disorder can occur as a symptom of dangerous diseases, and sometimes as a separate phenomenon. A severe form of the disease can pose a threat to the life of a pet, so anemia must be noticed and diagnosed in time. To do this, you need to know the causes and symptoms of the disease.

Anemia in dogs is a rather dangerous disease.

Anemia can develop in dogs of any breed and age. It often develops among pit bull terriers (such as) or greyhounds. This is due to the fact that these breeds are susceptible to acute or chronic infectious diseases, which can become one of the prerequisites for the development of anemia.

Causes

The causes of the disease can be a variety of factors that negatively affect the health of the dog. The most common of them:

Diseases gastrointestinal tract(ulcer).
Severe injuries leading to blood loss.
Infectious diseases.
Internal bleeding.
Reaction to taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Tick bites, fleas, worms.
Poisoning with poisons and chemicals.
Malignant tumor.

This disease can be identified by its symptoms.

A hereditary factor is also responsible for the problem.

The development of the disease and its symptoms are influenced by the factor that caused anemia. Clinical picture can be distinguished by the following characteristics:

paleness of the mouth;
weakness, fatigue;
drowsiness;
decreased appetite.

Clinical signs also depend on the type of anemia.

Classification of the disease

The disease is divided into three types.

The disease is usually divided into the following types:

Posthemorrhagic anemia which appears as a result of internal bleeding gastric tract. The reason for this is gastritis and ulcers. In this case, the pet may go into shock.
Hemolytic anemia. Its appearance is the result of exposure to chemicals or poisons, as well as infection of the body. Symptoms may include: increased body temperature, nausea and vomiting, and intestinal dysfunction.
Hypoplastic anemia, which occurs as a result of a lack of B vitamins, iron or folic acids. Such anemia can be either congenital or acquired. A dog with such an illness fades away gradually, the illness recedes after taking vitamins or nutritious food, and after some time the weakness returns again.

Anemia is also divided into primary and secondary. Primary occurs as a result of the administration or exposure to medications and does not affect organs of other systems. The secondary becomes a complication of diseases progressing in the dog’s body.

Anemia can be chronic or acute in form. The acute form is an isolated case caused by discharge or injury that threatens the health of the dog. Chronic anemia is caused by developmental pathologies. Relapses can occur throughout life. Death with such a problem is possible only in the absence of treatment.

Diagnosis of the disease

To make a diagnosis, the veterinarian carries out several types of diagnostics.

The disease is diagnosed by a veterinarian by testing the pet's blood. A blood test determines the hemocritical value in circulatory system patient. The diagnosis is confirmed when this indicator drops to 30-35%.

To determine the cause of the disease, the dog is prescribed:

biopsy bone marrow;
blood tests for biochemical composition;
general urine and stool tests.

Based on the diagnostic results, it is selected effective treatment, the procedures of which begin to be carried out immediately to reduce risks.

Treatment is selected individually for the pet. This takes into account the causes and degree of development of anemia, the age and weight of the dog, the presence concomitant diseases.

Along with therapeutic methods the dog is prescribed vitamin complexes and procedures to maintain the body and improve immune function. After the treatment period, it is necessary to continue constant monitoring of the dog’s condition, since the possibility of a recurrence of the problem cannot be ruled out.

Attention! If there are complications or concomitant diseases, the pet may be prescribed surgical intervention. Its need and type are selected by a specialist individually in each clinical case Therefore, under no circumstances should you self-medicate your dog.

Effective treatment will allow you to get rid of ailments in a period of two weeks to one month. For chronic or severe forms of the disease healing procedures can last for many years.

What to feed a dog with anemia

The effectiveness of treatment increases with integrated approach. The dog's nutrition plays a big role in this. Your pet’s diet should be varied with foods high in B vitamins and iron. The liver will be useful in this case.

When treating a disease, the dog’s nutrition and vitamins play an important role.

In addition, you can use the following tips:

Reception food additives. The selection and dosage of such drugs should be carried out by the attending veterinarian. Common choices are ferum and ferroplex.
Vitamins. Vitamin complexes containing iron can be added to your pet’s food. On advanced stages In case of illness, the dog can be prescribed intramuscular fortified injections.
The correct choice of food for anemia is very important. You should not use cheap or generic food. When purchasing a product, you need to study its composition. Preference is given to those companies that offer food made from meat waste rather than freeze-dried bones and cartilage. In the latter there is little nutrients.

Important! The dog should eat at least three times a day, in sufficient portions. If there is no appetite, portions can be divided into small ones and offered to the pet every one and a half to two hours.

Forecast

Once the disease is confirmed, the prognosis depends on many factors. The main one is the form of the disease: acute or chronic, as well as the degree of its development.

Timely diagnosis acute form anemia has a positive prognosis in 90% of cases. In the chronic course of the disease, in two out of three cases the body will never be able to fully recover.

The prognosis depends on the form of the disease and many other factors.

No less important factor to obtain a favorable prognosis for anemia is the cause of the disease. At malignant tumors Anemia is practically untreatable. For chronic lack of nutrients in the body, treatment is positive result, but prevention of relapse will have to be carried out throughout the entire period of the pet’s life.

Disease prevention

Prevention of the development of anemia, first of all, should be aimed at eliminating the possible causes of the disease.

. Ensure he gets everything essential vitamins and minerals from food.
Provide the dog with adequate physical activity. This is especially true for puppies and young animals.
Protect your pet from fleas and ticks. You can use anti-flea collars for this. After a walk in nature, the dog must be carefully examined for ticks.
Diagnose and treat any infectious and other diseases in a timely manner, especially diseases of the gastric tract.

It is necessary to monitor changes in your pet's behavior throughout its life. Any owner will definitely notice if his dog has become less active and has lost his appetite. In this case, you should not neglect the consultation of a specialist. Early diagnosis can greatly increase the chances of a full recovery.

Watch the video from veterinarian Alexander Andreevich Bykov.

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

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 right action the owner will contact the veterinarian with subsequent examination general analysis blood, by which the diagnosis is determined accurately.

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 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 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 independent disease, this 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, a drop general level 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 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 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.

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 the low hemoglobin content in red blood cells.

Anemia is also popularly called anemia. It's pretty dangerous disease in dogs. Often it 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 severe symptoms anemia:

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 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 provoked 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 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 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. In case of 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 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 turns into chronic form, then therapy may be delayed. Even after the dog will be complete 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, gives him the right food, walks with him, takes him for examination to specialists on time, treats him, carries out the necessary vaccinations, then this will help avoid serious illnesses which lead to anemia.

Attention, TODAY only!

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 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 exercise, most often lies.
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 possible reasons his appearance:

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 similar condition in 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 doing preventive measures The dog can be completely protected from anemia or given a chance for a quick recovery in case of illness.

Anemia is serious disease, which affects not only the human body, but also many animals. It occurs against the background of a significant decrease in the number of red blood cells (blood cells that are responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body). A deficiency of red blood cells can have harmful influence on the general health of the animal, and affect the functioning of many body systems.

Types of anemia in dogs

Veterinarians identify several various types this disease:

Posthemorrhagic anemia – a decrease in blood volume develops due to blood loss (internal or external bleeding). The etiology of this type is injuries that affect blood vessels or internal organs. If the bleeding is internal, it will be difficult to notice, especially if it is chronic. But according to certain signs, the presence of anemia can be recognized (pallor of the mucous membranes, frequent appearance of subcutaneous foci of hemorrhage).
Hypoplastic anemia - this form of the disease occurs due to the absence or deficiency of certain microelements, proteins or vitamins. If the dog eats a complete fortified food, then the cause of hypoplastic anemia may be hidden behind pathological changes in bone marrow cells caused by toxins. Toxins can accumulate in the body due to many diseases.
Nutritional anemia is one of the varieties of the hypoplastic form. It is mainly detected in puppies that eat unbalanced food. It may be associated with insufficient intake of iron into the body from the diet; much less often it occurs due to impaired absorption of iron by the intestine.
Aplastic anemia - occurs due to severe pathologies in the functioning of the circulatory system. The disease affects not only the formation of red blood cells, but also all other blood cells.

Causes of anemia in dogs

For the development of anemia in pet, can be influenced by many factors. The main ones are:

Injuries accompanied by significant blood loss.
Massive internal bleeding caused by gastrointestinal pathologies (severe inflammatory or infectious processes).
Infectious diseases (often, anemia develops due to tick infestation), this cause is characteristic small breeds dogs.
Autoimmune diseases that regard one's own red blood cells as pathogenic cells.
Treatment with certain groups of drugs, for example, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which often provoke bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.
Infestation by fleas, as well as with tick infestations, there is a high risk of pathology in small breeds.
Poisoning of the dog’s body with poisons and heavy metals, which lead to severe general intoxication of the body.
Pathologies chronic course— many dogs that live to old age suffer from cancer. These diseases are treated with drugs that reduce the level of red blood cell production.

Clinical picture

The main function of red blood cells is to transport oxygen to all tissues and organs, which is very important for smooth functioning. If the level of red blood cells decreases, it will be reflected throughout the body.

A sick dog looks lethargic and apathetic, and has difficulty withstanding physical activity. You can also notice changes in behavior: the dog spends all the time lying in one place. Doesn't show the same activity, gets up only when absolutely necessary. The animal's appetite worsens or completely disappears. A characteristic feature Anemia is pallor or cyanosis of the mucous membranes; if you feel the gums, then in sick animals they will be cold.

With the autoimmune etiology of anemia, you can notice a more pronounced set of symptoms:

Shortness of breath, even at rest.
Dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract - vomiting, diarrhea.
Increased urine output (rare symptom).
Intense thirst, causing the animal to drink a lot of water.
Fever.

During the examination, veterinarians may note the presence of a rapid heartbeat, systolic murmurs, tachypnea, and signs of jaundice. Urine may vary by more dark color, due to the high concentration of hemoglobin or bilirubin in it. On ultrasound and other instrumental diagnostic methods, you can notice an increase in the size of the liver, spleen and lymph nodes.

At-risk groups

Anemia can develop in any dog, regardless of breed, age or gender. But to the group increased risk, includes those animals with a history of peptic ulcer stomach or duodenum, as well as some hereditary diseases.

This includes the pit bull terrier and greyhound, because these dog breeds are prone to infectious diseases, which, as written above, can cause anemia.

Diagnostics

Anemia can be diagnosed after a blood test. Most often, they use the method of calculating the hematocrit value, which is a component of a general blood test. If deviations from the norm in the downward direction exceed 35%, then the dog is confidently diagnosed with anemia.

Of the main diagnostic methods, a bone marrow biopsy is most often prescribed - this analysis provides maximum information about its condition and can indicate the cause of anemia. Less frequent diagnostic procedures:

After passing full complex diagnostic procedures, doctors can determine the exact cause of anemia in a dog. Based on the results, the animal can be prescribed timely and adequate therapy.

Treatment

Therapeutic measures largely depend on the etiological factor; in addition, when drawing up a treatment plan, the veterinarian takes into account such data as: the general condition of the dog, its age, gender, individual characteristics, medical history, etc.

During the entire course of treatment, it is important to monitor the general condition of the dog, and as soon as it is completed, carry out regular checkups and register with a veterinarian. With timely assistance, acute manifestations anemia can be eliminated in just 3-4 weeks.

Chronic anemia is a more complex and severe problem that requires a serious approach. Even after undergoing treatment, the dog will recover for a long time and return to normal. Of course, the body of young individuals copes with the disease faster, and their disease progresses in a shorter period of time. mild form. In young dogs, the rehabilitation period (even after surgical treatment) proceeds faster and more successfully than in older dogs.

Forecasts

The assumptions that doctors give to animals with anemia largely depend on the diagnosed type and form of the disease, as well as general condition pet's body. At hemolytic form Anemia recovery period is quite fast and successful, but only if diagnosed and treated in a timely manner.

If anemia was caused by poisoning or an autoimmune disease, then the prognosis will not be so rosy. Anemia caused by oncology ends in many cases fatal, because the animal’s body reacts negatively to chemotherapy or surgery.