Blood Diseases Found in Animals

List of four major diseases of the blood found in animals:- 1. Anaemia 2. Postmortem Lesions 3. Leukaemia 4. Ascites.

Blood Diseases Found in Animals

Disease # 1. Anaemia:

It is a condition in which there is a decrease in the hemoglobin content of the blood. This change is usually associated with a de­crease of the amount of hemoglobin in the RBCs. Anaemia is only a symptom of disease.

Etiology:

1. Loss of blood by haemorrhage from wounds, rupture of vessels, venesection, intesti­nal haemorrhage, hemorrhage from lungs, nose or uterus.

2. Starvation or dietetic errors.

3. Chronic or exhausting diseases includ­ing diarrhea, nephritis, suppuration, malignant tumours, T. B. Johne’s disease, chronic poisoning and Leukemia.

4. Worm parasites—External or internal, particularly internal, those of the alimentary tract and respiratory passages and of liver. In parasitic gastritis, toxic products are assimilated and in liver fluke disease, from the blood sucking action of the parasites.

5. Animal parasites of the blood including Piroplasms, Trypanosomes, Dirofilaria emetis.

6. Ultra visible virus—all the domestic ani­mals are susceptible to anemia.

Symptoms:

Vary in intensity according to the rapidity of the change. In the acute forms as in haemorrhage the animal soon becomes very weak, staggers in gait, sweats profusely, respira­tion may become accelerated and laboured, sur­face of the body cold. The mucous membranes become pallid, heart throbs, pulse increases in frequency, becomes smaller, softer and, last of all, imperceptible. Soon the animal falls, become comatose and may show convulsions.

If half the volume of an animal’s blood is removed, it will die. In some cases, haemorrhage is the cause of sudden death. In chronic cases, symptoms de­velop more slowly. The animal becomes weak and easily fatigued, may stagger in its gait. Mu­cous membranes are pallid and, if the condition is due to exhausting disease, wasting is a feature. The heart’s action is accelerated and pulse is weak.

The bowels are irregular and there is a tendency to constipation (such as Red water), want of peristalsis may be due to want of suffi­cient oxygen in the blood stream, i.e. in later stage of Red water when constipation sets in, Oedematous swellings are noted in the depen­dent parts of the body, the condition may last for weeks or months. Diagnosis is made from pallid conditions of mucosa and examination of blood.

Prognosis:

It depends upon cause and de­gree of anaemia.

Disease # 2. Postmortem Lesions:

Pallid condition of tis­sues and organs. In the chronic form, Oedema and fatty degeneration of organs.

Treatment:

In acute form due to haemo­rrhage, arrest haemorrhage either by surgical measures if external or by haemostatics if inter­nal. To combat the symptoms, intravenous injec­tions of normal saline may be given. Blood trans­fusion may be tried afterwards, give liquid diet— milk, gruel and plenty of water. Afterwards, Iron tonics may be given. In other forms due to vari­ous causes, a specific treatment towards the re­moval of cause is indicated in addition to the treatment recommended earlier.

Disease # 3. Leukaemia:

It is a fatal malignant disease. It is caused by an abnormal production of imma­ture leukocytes found in the blood and formation of multiple tumours of the lymph glands.

There are mainly two types:

1. Leukaemic lymphocytoma

2. Aleukaemic lymphocytoma

Myelogenous leukaemia is very rare in do­mestic animals.

Etiology:

The cause is not known. Due to unrestricted growth, destruction of normal tissue and metastasis, there is marked enlargement of all the lymph glands. It is seen that the disease is more prevalent among young animals.

Lesions:

Due to extensive metastases, lungs, heart, liver, kidneys are all affected. The body cavities contain large irregular masses.

Symptoms:

The main symptoms are swell­ings of superficial lymph glands, specially in Sub-­maxillary, Prescapular regions. There is gradual loss of condition, dullness, pale mucous mem­brane. On clinical examination of the body, nor­mal imperceptible lymph glands will be found enlarged. Various symptoms are noted, such as chronic bloat and posterior paralysis. Diagnosis is confirmed by examination of blood, there is marked increase in the number of WBCs and presence of immature leukocytes.

Prognosis and Treatment:

There is no cure and is prognosis is hopeless.

Disease # 4. Ascites:

It is the accumulation of fluid in the perito­neum.

There are two types:

1. Haematogenous or Vascular and

2. Chylous or Lymphogenous.

1. Haematogenous Ascites:

In this form, the fluid which accumulates in the abdomen is clear and transparent, watery but sometimes it con­tains R. B. Cs. and is coloured red. The quantity varies from one pint (0.57 litre) to one or more gallons (4.5) litres + in the dog. The cause con­nected with some interference with the flow of blood from the abdomen through portal vein or posterior vena cava or debility.

The common causes of interference with the passage of blood from abdomen are some forms of heart disease, dilated heart, incompetence of right auriculo-ven­tricular valve, cirrhosis of liver, Echyinococcus cyst. A common lesion of the liver in the dog is tuberculosis. Tumours pressing on posterior vena cava or enlarged lymph glands, chronic intersti­tial nephritis cause it by raising blood pressure and causing a reflex action on the heart, destruc­tive lung disease.

Symptoms:

The abdomen is swollen and pendulous and the swelling may be displaced by altering the position of the patient. When the swelling is very extensive, respiration becomes laboured owing to pressure on diaphragm and the animal becomes debilitated, and disinclined or unable to take exercise. If the abdomen is palpated by tapping with the finger on one side, a wave may be felt by placing the palm of the hand on the other side.

This affection progresses slowly and the temperature is not affected. Fre­quently, it is associated with loss of condition and the poorer the condition, the worse is the progno­sis for, as a rule, any treatment adopted has only temporary beneficial effects and, only occasion­ally, the animal recovers.

Diagnosis:

It is made from swelling of abdo­men, the fluctuation on palpation and by tapping with trocar and canula.

Distinguish Ascites from the following con­ditions:

1. Excessively fat condition

2. Pregnancy

3. Distended bladder (in cat)

4. Pyometra

5. Abdominal tumours or cysts (ovarian) or abscess and

6. Hydrops amnii.

Treatment:

If the cause is discovered, treat accordingly. For the most part, treatment is pal­liative. Give laxative and follow with heart and general tonics and diuretics. In all cases, the diet should be nutritious. When the fluid is causing dyspnoea due to excessive fluid, it should be drawn off by aspiration. To prevent collapse, a bandage may be applied and a stimulant given before operation. The removal of fluid is usually only temporary, accumulation recurs.

In such cases, it should only be removed at intervals not shorter than a week. If oedema of the limbs devel­ops after Ascites it indicates total obstruction. If oedema of the limbs develops before Ascites, it indicates lung or heart disease. In renal disease, both occur simultaneously.

2. Chylous Ascites:

It is a form in which the fluid which accumulates in abdomen is milk, like in appearance. It has been compared to chyle in the lacteals. It is most commonly seen in the cat but occasionally in dogs. It has been ascribed to some pressure upon or obstruction to the passage of chyle or lymph from the abdomen. Symptoms are similar to Haematogenous Ascites.

Treatment and prognosis are same.