Blood Disorders in Dogs

Adopting a dog is pretty much similar to raising a child. You need to take care of several things to make your dog's life comfortable and happy. A dog's health is an important issue in pet adoption as you need to get familiar with various diseases and infections that he/she is likely to be affected by.

However, blood disorders that affect canines are something dog owners have little knowledge about. Some of them are listed below.

This is an immune disorder 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 in this disorder are paleness, tiredness, and a drastic reduction in the activeness of the dog.

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 in this disorder are paleness, tiredness, and a drastic reduction in the activeness of the dog.

This is a blood clotting disorder 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.

This is another blood clotting disorder which is caused mainly due to the dysfunction of platelets. It prevents the formation of blood clots, 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 a veterinarian.

This is not considered as a major disorder. However, a minor injury not treated on time can be detrimental to the life of your pet.

This is a form of blood cancer which originates in the lining of the 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 are malignant and radiation therapy hardly works for them.

This is a disorder in which the tissues that build up the 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.

This is a hereditary disorder and also the most common in canines. It is caused due to a deficiency of the 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, or the nose or oral mucus membranes. Unfortunately, this disease has no cure.

Blood disorders are pretty dangerous for the life of your dog. The above diseases and symptoms will definitely help you to know if your dog is affected by one. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment can possibly save your dog's life and improve his/her health.