Low Red Blood Cell Count In Dogs

A low red blood cell count can be the result of blood loss the destruction of the red blood cells or an inadequate production of new red blood cells.

Low red blood cell count in dogs. Overview if your dog has anemia there s been a drop in the number of his red blood cells red blood cells carry oxygen to the cells in the body and pick up carbon dioxide. It may also occur slowly and chronically such as from heavy menstruation or a lesion in your intestinal system leading to bleeding. This can occur if. Different animals get anemia for different reasons.

Low red blood cell counts are referred to as anemia and can be a result of blood loss active bleeding bone marrow disease or excessive red blood cell breakdown that is seen in some immune diseases and toxin ingestion. The numbers of red blood cells rbc in a dog s blood are important as they provide information on a dog s over all health. One of the first ways veterinarians discover a low red blood count is by looking at their numbers from a complete blood count cbc. The red blood cells carry the oxygen to the tissues.

Platelets are produced in the bone marrow and then released into the blood stream. This molecule is responsible for binding and releasing oxygen onto the red blood cells. Hgb is an abbreviation for hemoglobin. But no matter the specifics there are three basic causes of a low red blood cell count in dogs or in any other animal.

They also serve the important function of maintaining hemostasis. Bleeding is a common cause of red blood cell loss. There are several diet and lifestyle changes people can make to help the body increase its rbc count. A low red blood cell rbc count can cause a variety of symptoms and health complications.

Causes of low red blood cell count 1. A low hemoglobin count can be associated with a disease or condition that causes your body to have too few red blood cells. Red blood cell loss. If the red blood count is extremely low the dog may be lethargic and have pale gums.

All types of blood cells originate from a single kind of cell called a hemacytoblast. It may happen quickly such as from surgery frequent blood draws or an injury. Normal red blood cell count value in dogs is between 5 6 and 8 7 explains. Thrombocytopenia is a medical condition where blood platelets become too low in animals.

We humans often become anemic because of iron deficiency but low iron anemia is extremely rare in dogs. The total blood volume is dropping the body is not making enough. Women with menstrual periods and pregnant women commonly have low hemoglobin counts. Low hemoglobin counts associated with diseases and conditions.