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Anaemia in dogs often presents as lethargy and cold paws.
Anaemia in dogs is not an illness itself but rather a symptom. That’s why it’s vital to identify the root cause, to tackle the issue effectively. We’ll show you how to spot if your dog is anaemic and what steps to take after diagnosis.
If you suspect your dog is anaemic, it’s crucial to act promptly and consult your vet. Anaemia signals that something within your dog’s body isn’t right. Not every cause of anaemia poses a significant threat to your dog’s health, but it could indicate serious diseases of the spleen or bone marrow hidden underneath.
The sooner your vet starts looking for causes, the better the chances of recovery.
Symptoms: How can you recognise anaemia in dogs?
Your canine companion’s blood cells play a critical role: they transport life-sustaining oxygen throughout the body. If your dog is anaemic, it has too few blood cells, leading to an oxygen shortage. This manifests in your dog appearing lethargic and weary. Over time, extremities such as paws and ears may feel cold, and its mucous membranes in the mouth or the whites of its eyes may become pale.
To compensate for the deficiency, the body initiates a specific mechanism: the heart increases its pumping function (tachycardia), which you can detect as a throbbing pulse.
Diagnosis: How is anaemia detected in dogs?
Your vet can usually diagnose anaemia swiftly by checking the condition of the mucous membranes and taking a blood sample from your pet. The blood test will evaluate the blood cell production:
If the red blood cell count (erythrocytes) is too low, your dog is anaemic.
If the number of young red blood cells (reticulocytes) formed in the bone marrow is high, it’s a regenerative anaemia.
To determine the cause of anaemia, your vet will likely perform further examinations. Common investigations include imaging techniques or tissue biopsy.
Therapy: What to do about anaemia in dogs?
Since anaemia is not a disease in itself, the treatment depends on the underlying cause:
Supportive measures to alleviate your dog’s discomfort, such as infusion therapy or blood transfusion, may also be considered.
In the case of cancer, radiation, chemotherapy, or surgery might be necessary.
By looking at the colour of your dog’s gums, you can tell if they are anaemic.
Causes: What causes anaemia in dogs?
Anaemia is characterised by an imbalance in the destruction and production of red blood cells (erythrocytes). There are various triggers that can cause this imbalance in your dog’s body. The culprit behind your dog’s anaemia depends on whether it’s regenerative or non-regenerative. With regenerative anaemia, the dog’s body is still able to produce new erythrocytes, compensating for the deficiency by increasing blood cell production. Possible causes for regenerative anaemia include:
Blood loss: If your dog has had an accident and lost a lot of blood, this leads to haemorrhagic anaemia.
Haemolysis: If blood cells die too quickly due to a disease, it results in haemolytic anaemia.
Haemolysis may be triggered by an infectious disease or a poisoning. It can also be caused by tumours, kidney failure, or autoimmune diseases like AIHA. With AIHA (autoimmune haemolytic anaemia), the dog’s immune system produces antibodies against the membrane of its blood cells, essentially attacking its own erythrocytes. Often the reasons are unknown, so it’s usually diagnosed as idiopathic AIHA, a disease without a recognisable cause. With non-regenerative anaemia, the production of erythrocytes in the bone marrow is disrupted – it can’t generate enough blood. Causes can range from tumours and radiation therapy to:
Malnutrition: Most dogs in Germany are well-fed. However, dogs can sometimes suffer from iron deficiency. This iron-deficiency anaemia arises when the body can’t incorporate enough iron into the haemoglobin.
Infectious diseases: Bacteria and viruses can invade and attack the bone marrow, like in parvovirus.
Parasite infestation: Various blood parasites such as Anaplasma, Babesia, Ehrlichia canis, or Rickettsia damage the red blood cells.
Poisoning: High doses of toxins such as zinc or heavy metals, or medication, can cause a bone marrow-damaging intoxication.
Prognosis: What are the healing chances?
Just like therapy, the prognosis depends on what caused the anaemia in your dog. Without a diagnosis, it’s impossible to predict the lifespan and quality of life of your ailing pet. In any case, it’s essential to inform your vet as soon as you suspect something, as the quicker the underlying illness is identified, the faster you can help your beloved pet.
How long can a dog live with anaemia?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to whether an anaemic dog needs to be euthanised – it’s always the underlying disease that’s decisive. Remember that euthanising dogs is always the very last option, considered only if your dog’s suffering is great and unavoidable.
Prevention: How to protect your dog from anaemia
While not all cases of anaemia can be prevented, you can still do quite a bit to help ensure your dog stays healthy for as long as possible. Here are some tips:
Travel with your dog protected and informed. Engage in thorough parasite prevention to ward off dangerous infectious diseases.
Regularly have your feline friend examined by your vet as part of routine check-ups.
This article from zooplus Magazine is purely informative. If your pet is experiencing discomfort, contact your veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.
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Franziska G., Veterinarian
At the Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen I was extensively trained as a veterinarian and was able to gain experience in various fields such as small animal, large animal and exotic animal medicine as well as pharmacology, pathology and food hygiene.
Since then, I have been working not only as a veterinary author, but also on my scientifically driven dissertation. My goal is to better protect animals from pathogenic bacterial organisms in the future.
Besides my veterinary knowledge, I also share my own experiences as a happy dog owner and can thus understand and enlighten fears and problems as well as other important questions about animal health.
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