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Anemia is a condition occurring when there are low RBC or hemoglobin levels in the blood. [2,3]. It is not a particular disease by itself but occurs mostly because of underlying conditions like chronic kidney diseases [38], diabetes, an enlarged spleen or splenic tumor [11], lymphoma or cancer that results in lesser number of erythrocytes or red blood cells. Other external factors like parasite bite, some injury or reactions to a particular drug may also be responsible [3].
Anemia
The early signs of anemia often seen in most affected dogs include:
Hair loss is another sign observed in dogs with chronic anemia[13].
There may be other symptoms depending on the cause and type of anemia present in your dog.
Types of anemia with causes and symptoms |
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| Classification | Causes | Characteristic symptoms |
| Hemolytic anemia (Autoimmune or immune mediated hemolytic anemia) | Primary autoimmune hemolytic anemia: Improper functioning of the immune system [7].
Secondary autoimmune hemolytic anemia: Cancer, snake bites, medicinal reaction, toxins, chemicals or bee stings. Blood cells have a short lifespan, getting destroyed fast since the dog’s immune system perceives it to be a foreign agent and attacks it [6, 7, 14, 17]. |
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| Non-immune mediated anemia | Parasites, toxins, low phosphorus levels, hereditary red blood cell disorder [6], and enzyme defects, destroying the red blood cells for which the canine’s immune system is not responsible. | Similar to those seen in IMHA |
| Aplastic anemia | Bone marrow disorder, chronic kidney disease, hypothyroidism and improper nutrition, lessening the bone marrow’s ability to produce sufficient red blood cells[3,4,12] |
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| Anemia due to blood loss | Injury of the blood vessel, internal organ damage, tumor, surgery, any disease that prevents blood clotting [3,39], as well as bites of blood-sucking parasites like fleas, hookworm, ticks (anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis) and sand fly (leishmaniasis) [3,18,28,36], reducing the number of red blood cells in the body [33]. |
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| Iron deficiency anemia | External blood loss [40], parasite bite, lymphoma, urinary tract infection, lead poisoning [26], and stomach or intestinal tumors [34,6], hampering the development and oxygen-carrying capacity of the red blood cells [34]. |
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| Heinz body anemia | Diabetes, hyperthyroidism, reaction to medicines, ingestion of onion, garlic, kale, or red maple leaves [10,32,37], may destroy red blood cells. |
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| Megaloblastic anemia | Folate and vitamin B12 deficiency [29, 30], leading to a decreased red blood cell production as they get too big to come out of the bone marrow and enter the bloodstream [27, 29]. |
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| Pernicious anemia | A kind of megaloblastic anemia caused due to Vitamin B12 deficiency [15, 31], lessening red blood cell production. |
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Poodle, Irish Setter, Cocker Spaniel and Collies between the ages of one and thirteen [8,9], are mostly affected by hemolytic anemia, whereas Giant Schnauzers and Toy Poodles are more prone to megaloblastic anemia[27].
Mild to moderate anemia can be managed at home with a healthy diet plan and adequate medications.
If your dog is diagnosed with autoimmune hemolytic anemia in its severe form or chronic anemia where a lot of red blood cells have been destroyed, a blood transfusion may be recommended to stabilize its condition[3,5].
At times the dog’s body is so weak to produce sufficient red blood cells that multiple transfusions may be needed [1]. Treatment for the underlying conditions also begins [1].
You can also attempt other remedies like sprinkling kelp powder in his food, giving him phosphorous (to control bleeding) and sulfur (for flea or worm bites) pellets or trying out herbal remedies (yellow dock, burdock, raspberry and red clover). However, have a word with the vet before implementing any of these [21,22].
The prognosis depends on the cause and the condition of your dog when diagnosed. Early diagnosis of mild to moderate anemia has better chances of recovery, depending on the dog’s overall health [3].
Chronic aplastic anemia may take some time to improve.
Anemia occurring after an operation, or due to an ulcer is curable as soon as the bleeding stops [6].
Nonimmune hemolytic anemia has chances of getting better once the hemolysis or the agent damaging red blood cells is detected and removed [6].
For autoimmune hemolytic anemia, the life expectancy is as high as 50% to 80%, unless there are further complications [24].
Though it is not possible to completely prevent anemia in dogs, take certain precautionary measures like protecting your pet from sustaining injuries, being bitten by fleas or ticks, as well as maintaining a healthy lifestyle and food habits.
