Blood Disorders
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Cuts and scrapes are a fact of life, for humans and animals. Yet they're a significant danger if your dog has Von Willebrand's disease, a condition similar to human hemophilia, in which blood cannot clot properly. Because of this, any injury, even a minor one, will cause the dog to bleed profusely. Without treatment, dogs can easily bleed to death following surgery or from what would normally be considered minor wounds.
Von Willebrand's Disease is an inherited disorder. Affected dogs are missing a specific element in their blood that helps the platelets to form clots. It's a substance that helps stabilize one of the blood's clotting elements, known as Factor VIII, which is vital to the clotting process. The missing substance is known as Von Willebrand's factor, after the Finnish physician who discovered and researched the condition in the 1920s. [...]
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Most people are either unfamiliar with the term "shunt" or are used to its application as a treatment to drain excess fluid from the brain following a stroke.
There is another type, however, that can occur in animals, including dogs. Specifically, a portosystemic shunt is an abnormal connection between the hepatic portal vein and the rest of the circulatory system. This vein connects the gastrointestinal tract to the liver. This abnormal connection in turn causes blood from the gastrointestinal tract to bypass the liver, depriving it of oxygen and vital nutrients. When this occurs, the liver is unable to completely perform its own vital functions, including assisting with the body's metabolism and eliminating toxins from the system. The final effect is to expose the affected animal's body to toxic byproducts from its own digestive system. [...]
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Fanconi syndrome is an absorption problem in the tubules that make up the kidney. In a normally functioning kidney the small tubules reabsorb minerals, blood sugar and amino acids and water to keep the body in a metabolic balance that leads to normal functioning of all body systems. In dogs that have the hereditary Fanconi syndrome the tubules do not correctly reabsorb these essential compounds and the therefore they are simply removed from the body in the urine, resulting in metabolic imbalances that will eventually lead to death. As with most syndromes the condition cannot be eliminated but it can be managed and kidney function supported through several different treatment options. The earlier diagnosis is made and the better the outlook for managing the condition. [...]
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Genetic hemolytic anemia goes by many different names including immune mediated hemolytic anemia and autoimmune hemolytic anemia or AIHA. It can be caused by something as simple as a bee sting a vaccination or even a complication from a basic skin infection or cut. It is a disease that is most common in both intact and spayed females and typically effects a wide number of dog breeds, both mixed and purebred. Within the purebred group the most common breeds to experience genetic hemolytic anemia are the Basenji, Cocker and Springer Spaniel, Old English Sheepdog, Poodle, Dachshund, Malamute, Shih Tzu and West Highland White Terrier. Mixed breeds that have lineage from one or more of these breeds are also at risk. [...]
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Mast cell tumors are a cancerous disease that is common in dogs. Usually found on the skin, this disease can also develop in other areas of the body. While most dogs that develop the disease have reached middle age, Mast cell tumors can develop in dogs of any age, breed or sex. In this article, we'll take a closer look at Mast cell tumors, their symptoms, and what treatments are available.
[h]What are Mast cell tumors?[/h]
Mast cells are cells that work in conjunction with the immune system. They are distributed throughout the body to help fight infections and inflammation. Once dispatched to an affected area, they can release several different chemicals including histamine, heparin and serotonin. While these cells are vitally important in the body's natural defense against infection, they can severely damage the body when produced in excessive amounts. [...]
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If you notice your dog is bruising easily or bleeding with no obvious cause, a trip to the veterinarian is in order. Your pet may have one of several types of bleeding disorders that can affect canines. These disorders occur when the blood does not clot normally, in turn causing the dog to bleed abnormally or excessively after any minor injury or cut.
There are a number of warning signs that indicate your dog may have a blood disorder. Be watchful for any bleeding or bruises that have no obvious cause, frequent nosebleeds and blood in the animal's urine or feces. Also, the gums may be pale, and there may be tiny pinpoint-sized red spots on the gums or the whites of the eyes. If your dog becomes tired easily, he also may have anemia, which results from a reduced number of oxygen-carrying red blood cells. [...]
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Hemophilia in dogs, which can actually be type A or type B, is a blood disorder that prevents the blood from clotting at the site of wounds or injury. In normally functioning dogs without hemophilia there are series of compounds and chemicals that are released by the blood and body in reaction to an injury. Each chemical reaction leads to another, which then eventually results in the blood platelets being "glued" together by coagulants at the site of the wound, forming a sort of a natural dam that stops blood loss.
In dogs with hemophilia A, there is a breakdown in the chain of reactions at the factor XIII stage. This condition, as with hemophilia B, is inherited and is a sex-linked genetic deficiency, which means that it is almost exclusively seen in male dogs. Females can be carriers so in breeds prone to the condition, such as German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers and Scottish Terriers, it is important to check the blood clotting ability of the female prior to breeding. [...]
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Just like people dogs need to have sugar in their blood to supply the body and brain with the fuel it needs to work properly and efficiently. In some breeds, particularly the toy dogs such as Chihuahuas, Yorkshire Terriers, Pomeranians and Maltese hypoglycemia can be a problem in adult dogs that simply don't have enough body fat to carry their blood sugar between meals. Most of these small breeds have a significant drop in blood sugar that can trigger hypoglycemia if fasting for more than eight hours.
Another type of hypoglycemia is called juvenile hypoglycemia that occurs when puppies are weaned and switched to regular dog foods. Often these puppies do not eat properly or skip meals, leading to rapid drops in blood sugar and the resulting seizures, lethargy and poor growth and development. The smaller breed puppies, especially those that are bred to be teacup or toy are most prone to the problem, but any puppy that is not getting proper nutrition can develop the symptoms. [...]
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Pelger-Huet Syndrome is an observed abnormality in the formation of the nucleus of white blood cells. Whereas a typical white blood cell nucleus would have a generally round appearance, cells affected by Pelger-Huet Syndrome acquire a shape more like two round shapes held together by a thin bridge. It is often described as being shaped like a peanut. Though Pelger-Huet Syndrome is defined as a congenital abnormality, it can and often is developed post-birth and in such cases is termed "Acquired Pelger-Huet Syndrome" though for all intents and purposes, it remains the same defect.
This particular type of cellular defect is significant not because of any real problem that it causes in and of itself but because it acts as herald to much more serious diseases such as leukemia. [...]
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If you've recently noticed an increased resistance to exercise and a tendency to lay around on the part of your dog, then he or she might very well be the victim of a phosphofructokinase deficiency.
Phosphofructokinase deficiency is a disease that inhibits the body from metabolizing glucose into usable energy, leading to the aforementioned lack of enthusiasm and pep that can seem to strike without warning. In advanced stages, the disease can even lead to the onset of more advanced muscular diseases and destroy red blood cells, which can lead to anemia. [...]
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Dogs that are diagnosed with a condition known as thrombocytopenia will have problems with both bleeding and bruising due to a low number of platelets in the blood, which will prevent the blood from clotting. This condition can be fatal, especially if the dog is seriously injured and has internal or external bleeding that cannot be stopped. In addition if the dog's platelet count drops below a certain level they can start spontaneously bleeding internally which is almost always a fatal condition.
There are two different types of thrombocytopenia. The first type is called immune-mediated thrombocytopenia and is hereditary in nature. The breeds most commonly seen with this inherited condition include Poodles, American Cocker Spaniels and Old English Sheepdogs. It is much more prevalent in females, which is one of the key factors in determining that it is a sex-linked genetic condition. [...]
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One of the most common diseases or conditions found in adult dogs is diabetes mellitus. It is caused when the endocrine system, most specifically the pancreas, does not produce enough insulin to regulate the blood sugar in the body. This leads to "highs" and "lows" in blood sugar, both which can be life threatening if they are too high or too low.
Thankfully diabetes is a relatively common (about 1 in 500 dogs will be diagnosed with the disease) and easy to diagnose condition in dogs that is usually very easy to manage, although it is not curable. Since the conditions that are problematic in diabetes are the sugar highs and lows in the blood, insulin can be used to maintain the blood sugar at a constant level throughout the day. [...]
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Immune medicated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) is the new name for Auto Immune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA) a condition where the feline autoimmune system attacks red blood cells. The Immune System treats the red blood cells as foreign bodies; sending out antibodies which coat the red blood cells with a protein substance to single them out of the blood circulation pool for destruction. This process is called extravascular hemolysis. At the same time, the bilirubin (iron) that is extracted from these marked blood cells are sent to the liver. When this process occurs, the liver and spleen begin having problems. The spleen is overworked by having to process damaged red blood cells and enlarges as result. The liver is overloaded with bilirubin causing jaundice. [...]
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Von Willebrand's disease, often abbreviated as VWD is a hereditary blood disorder in dogs that leads to excessive bleeding. Von Willebrand's disease is very similar to hemophilia in humans and while controllable and manageable can be fatal under certain conditions.
Any breed of dog can have von Willebrand's disease but some breeds are more prone to having the genetic factors for the condition than others. Larger breeds such as German Shepherds, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, Doberman Pinschers, Golden Retrievers, German Shorthaired Pointers, Airedale Terriers, Keeshonds and Standard Poodles are more prone to having the condition whereas some of the medium to small sized dogs such as Shetland Sheepdogs, Dachshunds, Corgis and Scottish Terriers also have a higher than average rate of von Willebrand's disease indicating it can also be a breed specific condition. Males and females are equally likely to have the condition and many dogs may go undiagnosed their entire life if they do not have any injuries or other related health problems. [...]
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Literally cancer can form anywhere in the body, and hemangiosarcomas are cancerous cells and tumors that form in the blood vessels throughout a dog's body. Any breed of dog can develop hemangiosarcomas although they are most common in breeds such as the German Shepherd, Boxer, English Setter and Golden Retriever. Since it is most common in these particular breeds of dogs there is likely a genetic factor that contributes to the development of the cancer, although the exact link or marker is not known. It is interesting to note that hemangiosarcomas are very rare in other species of pets with cats rarely if ever developing the condition. Humans also very rarely develop hemangiosarcomas, which means that research on this cancer is really specific to researchers working with canine cancers. [...]
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Blood Disorders
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