What causes dog anemia?

There are many causes of dog anemia, which can be clinically divided into hemorrhagic anemia, nutritional anemia, ischemic anemia, and regenerative anemia. The main clinical manifestations include accelerated breathing, overall weakness, and pale mucous membranes. If you notice any symptoms of anemia in your dog and they don't improve, it's timely to send your dog to a pet hospital for inspection to determine the cause of the anemia, and then treat it accordingly. If anemia is not diagnosed and treated promptly, your dog may be at life-threatening risk.

1. Nutritional Anemia

Nutritional anemia mostly occurs in puppies, and its main manifestation is pale mucous membranes, such as eyelids and gums, without showing other symptoms. This is mainly caused by long-term monotonous diet, gastrointestinal digestion disorders, and chronic digestive tract diseases caused by intestinal parasites, resulting in protein, vitamin, and trace element deficiencies in dogs. Therefore, it is recommended that owners can feed dogs high-protein foods and B-group vitamins in their daily lives.

1. Hemorrhagic Anemia

Hemorrhagic anemia can be divided into acute and chronic hemorrhagic anemia. Acute hemorrhagic anemia is caused by trauma or surgical injury to internal organs and blood vessels, resulting in severe hemorrhage. This situation suddenly reduces the blood volume in the body. Chronic hemorrhagic anemia is caused by chronic gastrointestinal inflammation in dogs or hemorrhagic inflammation of the lungs, kidneys, bladder, and uterus. The primary task of this situation is to stop the bleeding and supplement other foods to balance nutrition intake.

1. Hemolytic Anemia

Hemolytic anemia is mainly caused by blood parasite infections, food poisoning, and bacterial blood infections. In addition to pale mucous membranes, there are usually accompanied by extreme weakness and loss of appetite. This situation requires timely fluid replacement, blood transfusion, and symptomatic treatment according to the cause.

1. Regenerative Anemia

Regenerative anemia is caused by various factors that affect the bone marrow's ability to produce blood, leading to a decrease in red blood cells and hemoglobin. For example, it can be caused by kidney disease, leukemia, and heavy metal poisoning. The main treatment approach is to improve hematopoietic function and increase blood volume.