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What you should know about canine anemia and how to offer the best dog food to avoid it
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Pet tips
Just like humans, dogs can also suffer from anemia. This disease consists of an excessive decrease in the number of red blood cells in the blood, causing oxygen to not reach all the body's organs correctly. This will make them feel weak and their immune system will be affected. That is why it is important to always offer the best dog food that can increase their defenses and keep them healthy and strong.
An adult dog should have a normal volume of this type of blood cells, generally between 39-60%. If the concentration falls below this level, it could be considered that you have anemia. In these cases, the dog must maintain a specific diet that provides the necessary nutrients to make up for this lack of red blood cells, among other treatments indicated by the veterinarian.
Do you think your dog may have anemia? Pay attention to his mood and the symptoms he shows since an illness like this can have important consequences on your dog's health! We help you learn more about this condition, detect its symptoms and combat it.
Main symptoms of canine anemia
Canine anemia is not easily detected with the naked eye, but it is a disease that progressively affects the animal. That is why you must be attentive to the warnings that the physical and emotional state of your furry companion may be giving you. Pay attention to the following symptoms!
- Weakness and apathy towards physical activity and play. It is one of the most common symptoms in dogs with anemia, the lack of cells responsible for transporting oxygen to the animal's organs means that it does not have the necessary strength to carry out daily tasks.
- Loss of appetite. Loss of appetite is another of the most common symptoms.
- Depression. The lack of energy and the decline in the animal's mood can lead to a state of depression caused by anemia.
- Gums and tongue become clearer. There may be a certain paleness - pinkish or even whitish tones - in specific areas such as the tongue, gums and mucous membranes.
- Yellowish eyes and skin. In the case of hemolytic anemia, the dog's eyes and skin turn yellowish.
- Difficulty breathing. If a dog has been anemic for a long time, its general health declines significantly, affecting its ability to breathe.
- Others. Bleeding feces or tatycardia are other possible symptoms of canine anemia.
Why does my dog have anemia?
The causes of the presence of anemia in your dog may vary depending on its age or breed, but among the most common are the following:
- A deficiency in the dog's own body when producing red blood cells can lead to anemia.
- Your own immune system mistakenly destroys red blood cells.
- Due to poor nutrition. A good diet must be balanced and complete to be the best diet for dogs .
- Due to large blood loss, for example through a serious wound.
- Due to internal bleeding.
- Due to some type of trauma.
- Due to the action of some internal and/or external parasites.
- Due to intestinal problems or stomach ulcers.
- As a side effect of some medications.
Most common types of anemia
Taking into account the factor causing anemia in your dog, he may face different types of anemia that can affect his health and vitality:
- Hemorrhagic : it is directly related to abundant blood loss.
- Hemolytic: this is the destruction of red blood cells by the dog's own immune system.
- Aplastic: when the bone marrow does not produce enough new blood cells.
Recommended foods in case of anemia
In addition to the treatment that the veterinarian deems necessary, there are certain foods that will help provide those specific nutrients that a dog with anemia needs to strengthen its body, such as iron, vitamins and extra minerals. In reality, there is no specific diet for anemic dogs, but it will be necessary to take the size of the animal into account when administering the amounts.
Among the foods that can promote your dog's health if he is going through an anemic process are liver, black pudding, lentils, green vegetables, seaweed or yogurt, in addition to drinking plenty of water. If you are looking for the best dog food that provides you with extra natural nutrients, you can search among those offered by the Dibaq Petcare brand for dogs .
As you have seen, the symptoms of canine anemia are very varied and its origin is very diverse, so, in the event of any alert, it must be a veterinarian who determines the type of disease and its treatment to follow after an exhaustive analysis. And so you can recover as soon as possible!
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