Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Bone marrow necrosis in 34 dogs studied from 1996 to 2004
By Weiss, Douglas J·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2005·Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Bone marrow necrosis in dogs: 34 cases (1996-2004).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 34 dogs was found to have bone marrow necrosis, a serious condition where the bone marrow is damaged and can’t produce blood cells properly. Symptoms included anemia, which means they had low red blood cell counts, and some also had low white blood cells or platelets. Many of these dogs had underlying health issues or had been exposed to certain medications that could cause this problem. Treatment would depend on the specific cause, but addressing any underlying diseases or stopping harmful medications is crucial for recovery.
People also search for: dog anemia symptoms · bone marrow problems in dogs · causes of low blood cell counts in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To identify the incidence, potential causes, and clinical and clinicopathologic features of bone marrow necrosis in dogs. DESIGN: Retrospective study. ANIMALS: 34 client-owned dogs. PROCEDURES: Reports of cytologic examinations of bone marrow specimens performed between 1996 and 2004 were reviewed. All reports that indicated the presence of necrosis, stromal disruption, phagocytic macrophages, individual cell necrosis, or myelofibrosis were evaluated further. RESULTS: Of 609 reports of bone marrow evaluations performed during the study period, 34 (5.6%) had evidence of bone marrow necrosis. Nine dogs had no evidence of associated diseases or drug or toxin exposure, and 25 dogs had associated disease conditions or drug exposures. All 9 dogs with idiopathic bone marrow necrosis were anemic (mean Hct, 14%), but only 3 had neutropenia, and 3 had thrombocytopenia. All 9 had myelofibrosis. Of the 25 dogs with associated disease conditions or drug exposures, only 14 (56%) had anemia (mean Hct, 33%). In addition, 14 (56%) had neutropenia and 18 (72%) had thrombocytopenia. Only 10 (40%) had myelofibrosis. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that bone marrow necrosis may be common in dogs with hematologic disorders. In most dogs, bone marrow necrosis was associated with an underlying disease condition or drug exposure, but idiopathic bone marrow necrosis was also identified. Disease conditions that should increase suspicion of possible bone marrow necrosis include sepsis, lymphosarcoma, and systemic lupus erythematosus; drug exposures that should increase suspicion of possible bone marrow necrosis include chemotherapeutic agents, phenobarbital, carprofen, metronidazole, and mitotane.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16047664/