A Study of Anaemia in Dogs

Dheer, Reva (1997) A Study of Anaemia in Dogs. Master of Veterinary Medicine thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

Haematology is the study of one of the most vital systems, the blood, which is 'a window' to many other body systems often reflecting the abnormalities or pathological changes in diseased organs. The study of this system has been and still is of great interest to man. It is one of the most intensely studied systems of animals and man. Haematology is a vast subject which includes the study of all the cells of the blood, their formation and functions in normal and in pathological conditions. Haematological conditions are common and diverse, anaemia being one of the well recognised clinical conditions in animals and man. There is an increasing awareness amongst veterinarians regarding the implications of anaemia in animals, resulting in an increasing number of cases reported. For a proper understanding of anaemia, it is necessary to know the details of the mechanisms of haemopoiesis which are reviewed in the first chapter. Pathological conditions affecting the erythropoietic system may be basically considered as hyperplasia, neoplasia or anaemia and these are discussed in the second chapter. For a systematic approach to diagnosing anaemia the clinical presentation of the patient is essential with a history of the subject. This information may provide a clue to the underlying mechanisms causing the anaemia and these matters are considered in the third chapter. Once the diagnosis of anaemia has been established in a patient it is very important to classify the anaemia. There are various classifications of anaemia described for animals and man. A classification of anaemia in dogs has been proposed on the basis of these classifications already described and this has been used throughout this study. The retrospective study comprises of a survey of anaemic dogs presented at the University of Glasgow Veterinary School from 1st January to 31st December 1994. There were in all 245 dogs presented with Packed Cell Volume (PCV) less than 36.9% that were considered to be anaemic. From these dogs, 52 dogs (Group A) were examined post-mortem by the pathologists at the University of Glasgow Veterinary School. The haematological data of these 52 dogs was studied in more detail to co-relate the blood findings and the pathological observations for a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms causing the anaemia. For the prospective part of this study, dogs presented as clinical cases to the veterinary school during the following year (1995), were selected. Knowing the pathological conditions observed in the retrospective study, dogs for the prospective study were chosen that were markedly anaemic. Only cases with significant anaemia as classified by the criteria adopted in the retrospective study and with some marked haematological findings were considered. These selected cases were grouped and studied in relation to the mechanism causing the anaemia. This study has identified the commoner types of anaemia in the dogs investigated and classified the anaemias in the best possible way for veterinary use. Knowing the cause and the severity of an anaemia enables a better assessment for the prognosis of a case to be made. Thus, it was concluded that a complete haematological investigation should be an essential part of a diagnostic procedure for detecting the underlying causes of anaemia and for making a prognosis for the animal.

• Item Type: Thesis (Master of Veterinary Medicine)
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Additional Information: Adviser: H Pirie
• Keywords: Veterinary science, Animal diseases
• Date of Award: 1997
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1997-75329
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 19 Nov 2019 21:01
• Last Modified: 19 Nov 2019 21:01
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/75329