Bleeding and Bruising in Dogs

There are many other blood-related problems that are seen in our canine friends on a frequent basis. If you suddenly find that your dog has begun to bruise or bleed for lengthy time periods, then a trip to the vet is in order.

Dogs as well as people can develop conditions that affect the blood and its production. Your dog may have one of several blood diseases that can seriously affect his/her health. Some of these can be potentially fatal, so immediate intervention is essential.

Long bleeding episodes

Hemophilia is a lifelong incurable malady. Only females can act as carriers of this disease that usually affects male German shepherds who exhibit abnormal platelet function. Symptoms would include- long bleeding episodes that are difficult to control, respiratory problems caused by bleeding in the chest area, along with blood in the stools and bleeding under the skin, accompanied by difficulty walking due to bleeding into the muscles. This can lead to weakness, paralysis or death.

If your pup bleeds profusely after loosing milk teeth make sure there is no underlying cause. Guard your dog by taking every precaution to prevent any injury and be alert in case of severe bleeding that can prove fatal.

Hemangiosarcoma is found in the lining of the blood vessels and spleen. It results in malignant tumors that require radiation therapy.

Basset hound thrombopathia is a disorder of the platelets or small blood cells, which then become incapable of clotting. Even though you cannot cure this disorder, you can manage it with the help of a good vet.

Coagulation Disorder

Another disease that exhibits a clotting deficiency in the blood’s clotting system. The most common of the inherited coagulation disorders is hemophilia. Hemophilia is caused by a shortage in specific blood clotting factors. There is no cure for this disorder and in severe cases the treatment can include blood transfusions.

If your dog excretes blood through the urine or stool, feels weak with a faster heart and respiratory rate, has pale gums, vomits, has fever and abdominal pain, then he could have ‘autoimmune hemolytic anemia.’

For an accurate diagnosis you need to put your dog or pet through a series of blood tests that will be validated by a ‘Coombs’ test. Once diagnosed, treatments include blood transfusions and high doses of corticosteroids for a minimum of four months, or lighter doses taken through out your dog’s lifetime.

Be warned that ‘autoimmune hemolytic anemia.’ needs your full attention if your pet is to come out of it alive. It can also lead to Cushing’s or Thromboembolic disease.

One of the most widespread blood disorders amongst canines is ‘autoimmune hemolytic anemia’ when the dog’s own immune system starts attacking its own red blood cells. A pet with this malady can get weak with fever; have paler mucus membranes and a larger spleen. High doses of corticosteroids are the accepted treatment for this inherited blood disorder.

Female dogs are more susceptible to this disease than males dogs are and so are particular breeds like Springer Spaniels, Cocker Spaniels, Old English sheepdogs, Poodles Dachshunds and Irish Setters.

Pyruvate Kinase is a hereditary hemolytic anemia due to lack of the enzyme, pyruvate kinase, whose role it is to exchange glucose in to energy, when oxygen supply is low. There is no known cure for this deficiency and a low supply of this enzyme will mean that the red blood cells will break down faster than usual, resulting in hemolytic anemia.

Canines with this shortage can pass away by the age of five due to liver failure, myelobibrosis or osteosclerosis

This inherited bleeding disorder attacks canines the most. Von Willebrand’s Disease can result in your canine or pet bleeding to death- since it is a clotting disorder in which the blood does not coagulate enough to stem the bleeding. Von Willebrand’s Disease can result in hemorrhaging from the urinary bladder, nose, or mucous membranes.

If your dog has this disease, you should take the right precautions. Keep your pet indoors and in a calm frame of mind, since there is no real treatment- apart from a blood transfusion.

‘Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.’ –

Roger Caras

Your canine is susceptible to the same kind of blood disorders as you. What you should keep in mind is that certain breeds are more prone to a particular kind of blood disorder while other diseases are transmitted through the genes. As a rule of thumb you should avoid using dogs with hereditary disorders for breeding purposes.

INHERITED BLOOD DISORDERS

Diseases that can be transmitted from one generation to the next include-

• Lymphedema
• Von Willebrand’s disease
• Pyruvate Kinase deficiency
• Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia
• Basset hound thrombopathia
• Coagulation disorders
• Hemangiosarcoma

What is Lymphedema?

The inherited disease – Lymphedma results in swelling in tissues storing extra lymph fluid. While cases of mild swelling would require little or no treatment, more chronic swelling could prove to be serious. In such cases, bandaging or reconstructive surgery may help.

A man brought a very limp dog into the veterinary clinic. As he lay the dog on the table, the doctor pulled out his stethoscope, placing the receptor on the dog’s chest. After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said, “I’m sorry, but your dog has passed away.”

“What?” screamed the man. “How can you tell? You haven’t done any testing on him or anything. I want another opinion!”

With that, the vet turned and left the room. In a few moments, he returned with a Labrador Retriever. The Retriever went right to work, checking the poor dead dog out thoroughly with his nose. After a considerable amount of sniffing, the Retriever sadly shook his head and said, “Bark” (meaning “dead as a doornail”).

The veterinarian then took the Labrador out and returned in a few moments with a cat, who also carefully sniffed out the poor dog on the table. As had his predecessors, the cat sadly shook his head and said, “Meow” (meaning “he’s history”). He then jumped off the table and ran out of the room.

The veterinarian handed the man a bill for $600. The dog’s owner went berserk. “$600! Just to tell me my dog is dead? This is outrageous!”

The vet shook his head sadly and explained. “If you had taken my word for it, the charge would have been $50, but you wanted the Lab work and the cat scan.”

Source:http://www.jokesplace.com/joke/thesickdog.html

Is your dog retching without bringing anything up? Or loosing weight? Does your dog show signs of any breathing problems? Is your pet urinating often and showing signs of discomfort while doing so? If left untreated, you could loose your pet.

On the other hand if your dog is drinking water and urinating a lot, it could be a sign of uterine disorder, diabetes or kidney failure.

Other warning signs to watch out for are fever that is beyond the normal 100.5 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit, seizures and coughing. Seizures can be a sign of tumors, toxins, or epilepsy

Bruising and Bleeding

Unusual bruising and bleeding can also occur due to a clotting disorder known as ‘hemostasis’. Blood that is unable to clot escapes into the skin to appear as bruises, or into the internal organs, mucous membranes, body cavities and tissues. Reactions can range from mild to severe, depending on the extent of bleeding.

Blood in the urine or stools or bloody vomit, as well as dark colored stools are also a warning sign of stones in the urinary tract, bacterial infections and cancer.

Dogs often get into fights, during the mating season and are more susceptible to accidents as well as bleeding from bite wounds at that time. Don’t get fooled by bites that look as small as a puncture –it could just be a tip of the iceberg. There may also be significant damage to underlying tissues that do not show up on the skin and this can prove fatal. So get the attention of a vet for any bite wound.

If your dog has red eyes

This can lead to blindness and could be due to eye inflammation or abnormally high pressure exerted in the eye due to glaucoma.

Have your dog’s gums turned pale?

Pale Gums or inner linings of the eye and nose could signal shock in your dog. If this occurs, make sure you see a vet as soon as possible as it can prove fatal.  If the pale gums are due to anemia, a blood transfusion would be in order.