Information on the Best Anemia for Dogs Treatment
Humans needs a solid red blood cell count to be in good health, and the same applies to the pets that are important part of our lives and often the best part of coming home at the end of the day. So many people have dogs, and among the many health ailments that can afflict a dog is anemia. The reason we started by mentioning the importance of a good red blood cell count is because anemia occurs when there is significant loss of red blood cells. This can occur for any number of reasons. Anemia symptoms for dogs include excessive tiredness, unwillingness to exercise, loss of appetite, and pale gums.
Some dogs, however, can be struggling with anemia and not show any of these symptoms, or only show them to such a slight extent that the dog’s owner is not aware that something is wrong. Red blood cells are important for dogs in the same way they are for you – they transport and deliver oxygen throughout the body. Without sufficient oxygen supply all the working muscles have a lot more difficulty doing what they need to do to keep you moving. This is why lethargy or chronic tiredness is seen with anemia. The muscles are being forced to work, but they don’t have enough of the fuel they need to do so.
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The good news is that anemia is very rarely a life-threatening condition, although in cases of severe anemia a blood transfusion may be required. In these instances, however, it will be VERY clear to the dog's owner that something is especially wrong with their pet. Most cases of anemia can effectively be remedied with the consensus best anemia for dogs treatment. Read on to learn more about that.
Understanding, Diagnosing, and Types of Anemia in Dogs
We’ve highlighted the most common symptoms of dog anemia – overtiredness, resistance to physical activity, appetite loss, and gums that are noticeably paler in color – and when dog owners observe these symptoms in their pets it may be reason enough for them to get a diagnosis of dog anemia from their veterinarian. Your veterinarian will do this by means of a PCV (packed cell volume) blood test. As you might guess, PCV tests measure the percentage of red blood cells in the bloodstream.
As far as the types of anemia in dogs, the PCV test usually determines quite conclusively whether the animal is dealing with hemolysis anemia, blood loss anemia, or anemia resulting from compromised production of hemoglobin and red blood cells. We won’t go into too much detail about each, but hemolysis involved red blood cells bursting long before their standard life span occurs. Hemolysis is the leading cause of anemia in dogs and the most common reason owners will end up inquiring about an anemia for dogs treatment.
Blood loss anemia is fairly straightforward to understand; excessive blood loss means the body’s red blood count is severely reduced. Compromised hemoglobin and red blood cells occurs because of iron or vitamin B12 deficiency, chronic disease, or as an additional affliction growing out of sickle cell anemia.
Causes of Canine Anemia
With an answer to the types of anemia in dogs, we should know look at the causes of the three different types of canine anemia.
Hemolysis anemia in dogs is most commonly caused by:
- Blood parasites that destroy red blood cells if not eliminated in a timely manner
- Cancer
- Chemicals and toxins
Blood loss anemia in dogs is most commonly caused by:
- Blood loss during or after unrelated surgery
- Major continued blood loss from parasites like fleas, ticks, and hookworms (Sentinel Spectrum is an excellent flea medication than also kills worms)
- Blood disorders that prevent blood clotting when a wound occurs
- Internal bleeding and rupture of blood vessels due to trauma or post-operation recovery
Compromised hemoglobin and red blood cell anemia is commonly caused by:
- Iron deficiencies from diet, or due to pregnancy, cancer, or stomach ulcers
- Sickle cell anemia, which results in deformities to red blood cells
- Vitamin D deficiency (pernicious anemia)
All of this then leads to dog owners asking, ‘can anemia in dogs be cured?’ The answer is that it is a treatable condition, so let’s move to that part of our discussion now.
Effective Anemia for Dogs Treatment Options
When dog anemia is occurring because of acute or chronic loss or destruction of red blood cells, a blood transfusion may be the only treatment alternative, and especially if the anemia is situational and explicitly related to the trauma or ongoing issue. Iron therapy for dogs is another way to address long-term anemia caused by either dietary deficiencies or any digestive issue that prevents the animal from absorbing iron properly.
Another anemia for dogs treatment is to supplement the animal’s diet with folic acid, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin C, as well as making dietary changes so that your dog gets more natural iron in its diet. Good choices in this regard are red meat (liver being an excellent choice), chicken and turkey, fish, and pork.
Other treatment options for canine anemia include treating affecting infections with antibiotics, artificial blood products, and corticosteroids to suppress the immune system (so that it does not destroy its own red blood cells). In instances where the dog has severe anemia and it is resistant to other treatments, a veterinarian may recommend a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. Surgery may also be necessary, but as mentioned above this is rare.
We’ll conclude this informative post by saying that if dog anemia is not treated and allowed to continue then the dog may be at greater risk of health problems. These included enlarged heart and heart failure as the heart is overworked trying to pump more blood to compensate for the lack of red blood cells available to body tissues.
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Another concern of this type is that if the dog is a female then she may have dog pregnancy problems because of anemia. Untreated anemia during pregnancy can lead to premature birth of puppies, which of course poses all sorts of health risk for those newborn dogs. Canine anemia should always be addressed without delay.
