Posts Tagged ‘Treatment Of Anemia’

Sickle Cell Anemia – A Hereditary Condition

Comments: 0September 2nd, 2011 by admin



Sickle cell anemia is an anemic condition which is genetically inherited and causes the red blood cells to form in an abnormal way. Normal red blood cells are round in shape and carry oxygen throughout the body, however, with sickle cell anemia the cells are more of a “C” shape or crescent moon which causes them to become lodged in blood vessels which slows down the flow of blood and oxygen throughout the body. These cells also die within ten to twenty days and as the bone marrow can not replace these red blood cells at a fast enough rate, this causes the condition of anemia.

Primary Symptoms



The primary symptoms are the same as the symptoms which are associated with all types of anemia which include tiredness and fatigue. Other symptoms can include chest pain, cold hands and feet, dizziness, headache, shortness of breath, and pale skin.

With sickle-cell anemia, individuals often have chronic pain due to a crisis which occurs when the clumping of sickle cells in the bloodstream causes the flow of blood to the tiny vessels of the organs and limbs to be blocked.

When a crisis occurs, the person experiencing it may suffer from acute pain. This pain typically lasts a few hours, but in severe cases, it may extend up to a few days. sickle cell anemia is most commonly diagnosed in infants after the age of four months old and primarily seen in people of African American descent.

The Treatment of Anemia

Treatments for sickle cell anemia are primarily focused on relieving the pain and complications caused by the symptoms associated with this disease as the only potential cure for sickle cell is a bone marrow transplant which has high risk factors which can be fatal and finding a donor with an exact match is extremely difficult.

Most individuals with sickle cell anemia are under constant medical care involving specialists dedicated to the treatment of this disease which involves a wide variety of treatments and medications.

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Dogs With Anemia – What Are the Causes, Signs and Treatments?

Comments: 0April 9th, 2010 by admin



Anemia is defined as a low red blood cell count. It can be caused by blood loss, destruction of red blood cells or the inadequate production of the red blood cells. Below I have listed some of the causes of Anemia in dogs, signs, and treatments.

Causes of Anemia

Blood loss – caused as a result of an accident, poisoning, bleeding ulcers, and parasites (such as hookworms or whipworms).

Destruction of red blood cells – caused by parasites, bacterial toxins, poisons and/or immune reactions.

Inadequate production of red blood cells – A reduced or abnormal production of new red blood cells in the bone marrow due to tumors, kidney disease, poisons, or acute infections. The most frequently cause of Anemia is from vitamin and mineral deficiencies that are caused by a poor diet.

Anemia can also be caused by cancer, immune-mediated disease, (which is a disease in the dogs body that attacks its own cells or organs), toxins, genetic defects, inflammatory disease, drug reactions, kidney failure, and also from a generalized chronic long term illness.

Signs of Anemia

Pale gums
Unsettled behavior
Inability to exercise
Increased respiratory rate
Weight loss because of decreased appetite
Episodes of collapse
Evidence of blood loss
Blood in the urine or feces
Yellow discoloration of the skin
Abdominal distension
Vomiting

Treatment of Anemia

The treatment depends on what is causing the Anemia. Your dog will need plenty of rest to help him build up strength while recovering. Your Vet may give your dog some iron supplements and vitamins to help with the anemia and put your dog on a special diet to help speed up his recovery. Follow your Veterinarians instructions for home care. He will explain everything to you on how to take care of your dog and how and when to give your dog his medicine. Your Vet will want you to bring your dog back for check-ups to document his progress. If at any time your dog gets worse, your Veterinarian will want to see him as soon as possible.

Prevention

Any time you suspect a problem with your dogs health, don’t hesitate to make an appointment with your Veterinarian. Taking your dog for regular check ups a couple times a year will help your Vet keep track of your dogs health. This way your Vet can compare notes he has made in the past, which can help him spot any problems before they get out of hand.

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Ways to Increase Hemoglobin Other Than Iron Pills

Comments: 0December 22nd, 2009 by admin



Low levels of hemoglobin can cause anemia. Hemoglobin or red blood cells carry oxygen through blood to all parts of the body. The characteristic symptoms of anemia include fatigue and breathlessness. A simple blood test can determine if you have low hemoglobin. Once the results are in proper treatment is important.

Treatment for Hemoglobin

Treatment for anemia depends upon the condition of blood in the body. A person needs a blood transfusion in case of substantial loss of blood as in case of an operation. While if the person is suffering from general weakness due to improper diet or illness, the treatment involves increasing the iron intake as iron is the main ingredient of hemoglobin.

Problem with Iron Supplements

Taking iron pills is the most common treatment of anemia. However, all of us can not absorb the high doses contained in those iron pills. In addition, these pills can cause stomach upset, constipation, and heartburn and can be toxic if taken in large doses. If a person has such problems with iron pills, doctors prescribe an iron-rich diet replenishes the lost hemoglobin.

Taking iron-rich diet

There are several commonly available food items, which contain significant doses of iron. It is important to include things like nuts, green leafy vegetables, beans, chicken, liver, Shell fish, beef, red meat, turkey, fish and pork in the daily food. In addition to intake of these iron-rich food items, it is recommended to curtail certain types of foods which block the absorption of iron in the body. These foods include tea, coffee, calcium-rich food like cheese, milk, chocolate, few medicines like antacid and phosphates. At the same time, increasing the intake of foods containing vitamin C, help increase the absorption of iron in the body.

Treating Anemia with herbs

Besides taking iron-rich diet, there are certain herbs which are very useful in treatment of anemia. Drinking liquid chlorophyll is a good way to increase hemoglobin. Chlorophyll has the same molecular structure as that of hemoglobin with a few differences. Though eating green leafy vegetables is good, you can add a few drops of liquid chlorophyll to your drinks.

One wonderful herb having loads of iron is Yellow Dock Root. You can include it in your diet either by cooking it or making an infusion. To prepare infusion, steep two teaspoons of the dried herb in 3 cups of water for few minutes and drink after it gets lukewarm.

Another rich source of iron is Blackstrap Molasses. However, in case of diabetes, it should be avoided as it is sugary. Nettle is one more herb which is rich in iron. One can drink its infusions regularly to increase hemoglobin levels in the blood. To prepare its infusion, mix an ounce of dried nettle herb in 4-5 cups of water and steep for several hours.
Level of hemoglobin determines the health of the body. Consistency in following the measures is the key to treat anemia.

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Treating Anemia in Dogs

Comments: 0August 28th, 2009 by admin



Treating anemia in dogs can be difficult simply because there are so many potential causes of this very dangerous condition. However, there are several very successful treatments that will include both medical as well as natural forms. The treatment of anemia will all depend of the actual cause, which can be primary or secondary, as well as the severity of the anemia.

Anemia in dogs is technically defined as a low red blood cell count and can be caused by a number of processes that include blood loss, red blood cell destruction, as well as an inadequate red blood cell production by your dog. In determining the actual treatment, your veterinarian will have to fully understand the actual cause. But before any of this can be done, you will have to identify that your dog does have anemia.

There are several warning signs and symptoms that will help to with identifying it.

Symptoms:

Treating anemia in dogs can not be done until you identify that your dog actually has anemia, and there are several warning signs and symptoms that you can watch for. The first warning is a generalized weakness in your dog. This weakness may be very sudden, or it may be gradual, depending on the type of anemia that your dog has.

As soon as you see any sign of weakness, do not assume that your dog is just not felling well. Very quickly check their gums, as this is the first true indicator that your dog has something seriously wrong with them.

If their gums are pale at all, the chances are very high that they have developed this condition. Next, check for an increased respiratory rate in your dog by checking their pulse. This is done by placing your fingers around the front of their hind leg and than moving your hands up between their thigh and abdomen.

Once you feel the pulse, it should be between 70 and 120 beats per minute. The next sign that you may see with anemia is collapsing. This is a very frightening situation and one of the sure signs of this condition. Blood loss of any type in your dog, especially in the urine or externally, is the next sign of anemia. Abdominal distention, vomiting, and any type of a yellow discoloration are also signs that your dog has this condition.

CBC in Dogs:

Treating anemia in dogs will also depend of their complete blood count, or their CBC. This is one of the most basic as well as most important tests your veterinarian will do, as it can very quickly determine the health status of your dog. It will provide much needed information about the three types of cellular elements. It tests the red blood cells, the white blood cells, as well as the platelets.

These tests will determine in detail the number, size, and shape of the various cells, as well as any potential abnormalities. With regards to the red blood cells, it will tell your veterinarian how many cells there are and if there has been a decrease in the amount of hemoglobin, which is critical in determining anemia.

Treatments:

Treating anemia in dogs must first be determined by treating the underlying cause of the anemia. One of the most common causes of anemia in your dog is by what is referred to as suppression of the immune system, or immune mediated hemolytic anemia, also known as IMHA. This is a situation where your dogs own system, which is designed specifically to attack and kill germs, actually attacks it own red blood cells.

This occurs when the antibodies attach themselves to your dogs red blood cells and target them for destruction.

The actual cause of this is still unknown, and the treatments will vary, but the most common treatment is with corticosteroids. This form of treatment is usually very rapid, but it may be 3 to 4 days before you will see any improvement. The initial dosages are usually very high, and you should always get a second opinion as there can be several side effects. If this form of anemia is severe, there are other forms of immune suppressive drugs that may be used, but these have even more severe side affects.

If the cause of the anemia is a toxin, your dog will than be treated with antibiotics. One of the leading causes of anemia in a dog is the ingestion of a toxic substance. If the substance is the result of zinc toxicity, it is usually caused by a penny that your dog has swallowed. If this is the case, it will have to be surgically removed.

However, the most common toxic ingestion in dogs is from rat poison. Rat poison is designed specifically to stop red blood cell production in rats, causing their death, and it is extremely effective. Although it will not be toxic to your dog to the point of causing death, it can very rapidly be the cause of anemia. The treatment for this will be with Vitamin K therapy; first with injections, and than followed up with supplements.

If an iron deficiency is the actual cause, treating anemia in dogs, will be done with iron supplements. If the cause is from a kidney failure, the treatment is then hormonal therapy. However, if the anemia is severe enough, your dog may need a transfusion of either their entire whole blood, which is cells plus the liquid plasma, or packed red blood cells. This is a situation where transfusion is done after the liquid is removed.

But there is a real problem with this, especially if it is IMHA. If the corticosteroids or other methods do not stop the system from attacking itself, it will kill theses cells as well. For this reason, transfusion is usually used only as a last resort.

Preventive Treatments:

Treating anemia in dogs also has some very natural methods of treatments if the case is not severe, and most cases, they are not. Even though your dog is carnivorous, placing some green vegetables in their food which contain iron as well as several other minerals may help slow the anemia, or in some cases, may even prevent it. Beef liver is also extremely effective as it contains iron, protein, as well as B complex of vitamins. It is also very rich in Vitamin B12 which is extremely effective in treating anemia.

A nutritional yeast in a powder or supplement form is also very effective, as it will contain the same ingredients as beef liver. Kelp powder is also a very effective treatment, as it contains iodine as well as several other trace minerals. Vitamin C for dogs has many uses and one of them is helping in both treating and preventing several forms of anemia.

The recommended dosage is between 500 to 2,000 milligrams a day, depending on the size of your dog. This vitamin naturally helps you dog with the absorption of iron from the intestinal tract.

Summary:

Treating anemia in dogs can be extremely effective, especially if your take the preventive approach and build up their immune system. Immune mediated conditions in dogs may never be explained or understood, but it is also quite rare. If your dogs system is built with natural iron and the essential vitamins and trace minerals, it is already being treated.

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