What Causes Hemolytic Anemia in Dogs?

(May 5, 2010)

Dog anemia is a common illness and is generally not very serious but if left untreated can pose problems and even lead to death of your dog in some cases. Anemia is a condition where the red blood cell count is very low and the reason for this can be attributed to a variety of factors because of which diagnosing the same gets even more difficult.

Tremendous loss of blood is the primary cause for getting anemia which maybe the result of an internal bleeding in the intestinal tract of your dog or may also be due to injury or some major mishap. Blood loss can be the result of ticks, fleas and hookworms those are present on their bodies. There are certain tumors that are formed in the intestinal tract, kidneys and urinary bladder that can be another cause that leads to a lot of blood loss. Anemia can be got suddenly in a dog or can be developing over years in the body. Symptoms of dog anemia include a lot of weakness accompanied by a loss in appetite, vomiting, and also loss of weight. If you find these symptoms in your dog for a long period, check his gums and see if they are pale in color. If they are then, it implies that his condition is getting serious and needs immediate medical attention. Also, observe the skin of your dog very carefully and check if you can see a little bit of yellow color on the skin as that is an indication of a problem related to the liver. You can check for the dog’s abdomen as it normally tends to distend in anemia.

In an extreme case, your dog might collapse as they become very weak. Hemolytic anemia in dogs is another disorder that can be seen which is primarily an autoimmune disease wherein the red blood cells are destroyed completely and female dogs are said to be more affected with it than the male dogs. The most common reasons for hemolytic anemia in dogs is because of autoimmune diseases, cancer, certain chemicals or toxins and blood parasites. If anemia is mild, it can be treated effectively without any complications, but incase if it is very severe, a blood transfusion maybe needed. Also, take a thorough treatment if your dog has a lot of fleas and ticks so that they can be thrown away and prevented from coming again.