Blood Disorders
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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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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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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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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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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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The red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen to the various cells of the body so they are able to function and move. Each cell in the horse's body needs oxygen to do its job and without all cells working properly the horse will experience any number of health related problems.
Anemia, or lack of red blood cells in the body results in poor blood aeration or ability to carry oxygen to the body. Anemia is actually relatively common in horses of all ages and breeds, although Arabians and some Thoroughbred lines in particular are more prone to anemia than some of the coldbloods or heavier horses. [...]
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Equine infectious anemia has been a horse owner's worst nightmare for many years, but thanks to new federal, state and provincial government testing requirements this condition is not nearly as devastating as it was just 20 years ago in North America. Equine infectious anemia is what the Coggin's Test is designed to identify. This simple blood test is the best and easiest way for a horse owner to ensure that his or her horse is safe both for their own peace of mind as well as to let others know that the horse is free from the condition.
A vet must do the Coggin's Test, which simply includes a small blood sample that is drawn from the horse then sent to a government approved testing lab. Once a negative result is obtained, the horse is considered to be free from equine infectious anemia and can usually be moved across state lines, boarded or stabled as well as entered into events and competitions. Horses with positive results cannot and must be kept under very controlled situations to prevent the spread of the disease. [...]
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Although all types of worms in any species of animal are problematic, few are as potentially deadly as the strongylus vulgaris or large strongyles. Not only do the worms and larva themselves cause damage but they can also trigger blood clots and serious internal bleeding that can lead to death over a very short period of time.
To understand the dangers of strongylus vulgaris it is important to take a closer look at their life cycle. Eggs of the adult worms are shed from the adult worms living in the horse's cecum or large intestine. These eggs are passed out of the horse's body with the fecal material, where they come in contact with the air and soil and grass of the pasture. In approximately three days in the warmer, spring, fall and summer weather the eggs hatch into tiny larvae. The larvae move to grass and vegetation and remain there until they are eaten by the unsuspecting horse. Once inside the horse's body the sheath or protective coating of the larvae comes off, allowing the very tiny larvae to move through the walls of the digestive system and into the blood stream. [...]
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Blood Disorders
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