What is anaemia?

Anaemia is a shortage of the pigment haemoglobin in the blood. This pigment is what gives blood its red colour. It is caused by either a shortage of red blood cells or by a shortage of the pigment within the red blood cells. Haemoglobin carries oxygen around the body. Anaemia is not a disease itself, but rather a consequence of different diseases or conditions.

What are the cause of anaemia?

(1) Blood loss: This in itself can be caused by for instance external and internal bleedings (often the result of trauma), blood sucking parasites (fleas, ticks etc.), bleeding tumours or conditions which cause ineffective blood clotting (rat poison, liver disease etc.).

(2) Destruction of red blood cells: This can be the result of certain parasites, toxins, auto-immune disease or some tumours.

3) Insufficient red blood cell production: This can be caused by severe chronic disease, poor nutrition, auto-immune disease, hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid gland), toxins or certain tumours. Iron deficiency is not a common reason for anaemia in dogs, unlike in humans, but is possible in principle.

How is anaemia diagnosed?

To diagnose anaemia your vet will perform a full clinical examination on your pet. He may find pale mucous membranes, for instance inside the mouth or on the inside of the eyelids. Dogs with anaemia will often appear lethargic and have a decreased exercise tolerance. Some dogs may have a fast and weak pulse and some may have a heart murmur. In most cases it will be necessary to do blood tests as well. Your vet will determine the haematocrit or PCV (packed cell volume), which is the percentage of red blood cells within the blood. If this falls below 35%, your dog is diagnosed as anaemic. Blood smears are often examined for the presence of young, immature red blood cells. This is to check whether the body is actually making new red blood cells in the bone marrow. Parasites are also sometimes found on a blood smear. In some cases it may be necessary to perform other tests as well, such as a biochemistry profile, to check for underlying diseases, faecal examinations, to check for certain parasites, bone marrow biopsies etc.

How is anaemia treated?

Treatment of anaemia is totally dependent on the cause of the anaemia. Only in severe cases (generally if the PCV falls below 10%) is a blood transfusion necessary. Your vet may have set up a blood donor scheme to make this treatment possible. Most dogs do not need a blood group test for their first blood transfusion.