Blood Disorders in Dogs

Adopting a dog is pretty much similar to raising a child. You need to take care of several things, so as to make your dog's life comfortable and happy. Dog's health is an important issue in pet adoption, as you need to get familiar with various diseases and infections that your dog is likely to get. However, canine blood disorders is a group of blood related disorders about which dog owners have little knowledge.

Blood Disorders in Dogs

Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia is an immune disorder in dogs, in which the body's immune system destroys the blood cells. Normally, a parasite or some other foreign body is attached to the red cell and in the process of destroying this foreign body, the immune system destroys its own red cells. When this happens too rapidly and too often, the body falls short of red cells, as the regeneration process takes some time. The main symptoms to look out for this canine autoimmune disease are paleness, tiredness and a drastic reduction in the activeness of the dog.

Hemophilia
Hemophilia is a blood clotting disorder in dogs which results in abnormal and excessive bleeding. It is mainly due to the deficiency of certain factors responsible for clotting or it may be due to an abnormal platelet function. Although, female dogs are the major carriers of this disease, it is the male dogs that are affected the most. The most important symptom of this disorder is excessive and unexplained bleeding. Many puppies with hemophilia continue to bleed for several days after the loss of baby teeth.

Basset Hound Thrombopathia
This is another blood clotting disorder in dogs, which is mainly due to the dysfunction of platelets. It prevents the formation of blood clot, thus resulting in excessive loss of blood. Although, this disorder cannot be cured completely, it can be kept under control with the help of proper treatment from the veterinarian. This is not considered as a major disorder, however, a minor injury, not treated on time can be detrimental for the life of your pet.

Hemangiosarcoma
This is a form of blood cancer which originates in the lining of blood vessels and spleen. If the tumors are benign, they can be successfully removed with a surgery, while they are still small. Unfortunately, most hemangiosarcoma tumors in dogs are malignant and radiation therapy hardly works for them.

Lymphedema
Lymphedema is a blood disorder in dogs in which the tissues that build up lymphatic fluid swell. Lymphatic fluid is circulated by the means of lymphatic vessels. Most often, this disorder is of minor consequence, with no medical intervention needed. However, in certain serious cases a reconstructive surgery may be required. Sometimes, even bandaging can be done to prevent the tissues from swelling further.

Von Willebrand's Disease
This is a hereditary blood disorder and also the most common in canines. It is caused due to deficiency of proteins that are required in the formation of platelets, that help in closing the ruptured blood vessels. As a result, the animal bleeds profusely and sometimes even bleeds to death. The hemorrhage normally occurs in the bladder, vagina, nose or oral mucus membranes. Unfortunately, this disease has no cure.

Blood disorders in dogs are pretty dangerous for the life of your dog. The above dog blood diseases and symptoms will definitely help you to find, if your dog suffers from one. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment can definitely improve the health of your dog.