Aplastic Anemia in Dogs
Bone marrow plays a pivotal role in the origination and constant replenishment of important cells like red blood cells (RBCs), granulocytes (or white blood cells [WBCs]), and platelets. Once these cells reach the point of maturation they are released from the marrow into the blood stream. In some mammals, it is estimated that as many as three million red blood cells per second are released into the blood circulation, demonstrating the extensive amount of work done by the bone marrow in keeping the numbers of these cells within normal ranges in the body.
Aplastic anemia in dogs is a diseased condition resulting from the bone marrow's inability to replenish blood cells. Where aplastic refers to the dysfunction of an organ, and anemia refers to a lack of red blood cells. Aplastic anemia is a life-threatening condition resulting when normal bone marrow is replaced by adipose (fat) tissue, thus preventing it from releasing the required number of WBCs, RBCs, and platelets and resulting in an overall decrease in the total number of these cells in the blood. RBCs have several vital functions in the body, including carriage of oxygen and removal of waste carbon dioxide. WBCs are essential for fighting infections and foreign particles, whereas platelets are required for clotting the blood and preventing hemorrhage. All symptoms seen in aplastic anemia directly relate to the functions of these cells. In most cases of aplastic anemia, all three types of cells are affected. If left untreated, this condition can lead to death in severely affected dogs.
Symptoms and Types
All three types of cells affected in this disease have different roles to play in normal body functions, therefore, the symptoms will vary depending on the type of cells mostly affected and the severity of the problem. Following are some of the symptoms related to aplastic anemia.
- Recurrent infections
- Fever
- Petechial hemorrhage (red or purple spots on skin due to tiny hemorrhages)
- Blood in urine (hematuria)
- Nosebleed (epistaxis)
- Black-colored feces (melena)
- Pale mucous membrane
- Weakness
- Lethargy
Causes
There are a variety of causes for aplastic anemia, including infections, toxins, drugs, and chemicals which may cause aplastic anemia in dogs. Following are some major causes of aplastic anemia in dogs:
Infections
Drugs and chemicals
- Estrogen administration
- Chemotherapeutic drug administration
- Albendazole (for parasitic treatment)
- Some types of antibiotics
- NSAIDs (given for relief of pain and inflammation)
- Radiation therapy in cancer patients
Diagnosis
You will need to give a thorough history of your dog's health and onset of symptoms. Your veterinarian will perform a physical examination with full laboratory testing, including complete blood tests, biochemical profiles, and urinalysis. The results of these tests will provide valuable information for the preliminary diagnosis. The count of various cells will be determined; counts that are far below the normal ranges are considered a positive result.
Your veterinarian will also evaluate your dog for the presence of any infectious diseases, but the most valuable test in the diagnosis of aplastic anemia is bone marrow sampling. In this test a small sample of bone marrow will be collected through aspiration or biopsy. The microscopic studies will reveal the important information related to the architecture of the bone marrow and any developmental problems of the various cells in the bone marrow.
melena
The term for black feces that has blood in it
mucous membrane
A special type of tissue that exudes mucus
urinalysis
An in-depth examination of the properties of urine; used to determine the presence or absence of illness
hemorrhage
Extreme loss of blood
epistaxis
A bloody nose
anemia
A condition of the blood in which normal red blood cell counts or hemoglobin are lacking.
biopsy
The process of removing tissue to examine it, usually for medical reasons.
adipose
Refers to the quality of being fat or full of fat.
hematuria
Blood in the urine
