Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Immune-mediated anemia survival and breeds in 110 Victorian dogs
By McAlees, T J·Published in Australian veterinary journal·2010·University of Melbourne Veterinary Clinic and Hospital, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia in 110 dogs in Victoria, Australia.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 110 dogs diagnosed with immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA), a condition where the immune system attacks red blood cells, was studied to understand their survival rates and factors affecting their recovery. About 73% of the dogs were discharged from the hospital, and half of those were still alive a year later. Maltese dogs were particularly affected, along with Springer Spaniels, Hungarian Vizslas, and Airedale Terriers. The presence of autoagglutination, where red blood cells clump together, was linked to lower chances of survival. Overall, dogs with IMHA face a challenging prognosis, with only about half surviving a year after diagnosis.
People also search for: dog immune-mediated hemolytic anemia treatment · signs of anemia in dogs · Maltese dog health issues
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the survival and prognostic indicators (i.e. breed predilection, season, blood transfusion, and the prevalence of autoagglutination) of dogs with immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA) in Victoria, Australia. DESIGN: Retrospective study of 110 diagnosed with primary IMHA at the University of Melbourne Veterinary Clinic and Hospital. RESULTS: In total, 80 of the dogs (72.7%) were discharged from hospital and 48 of 65 (73.8%) dogs available for follow-up were known to be alive at 1 year, giving an overall 1-year survival of 48 (50.5%) of 95 dogs for which survival data were available. Regarding breed, 80 (18.2%) of the 110 dogs were Maltese-breed dogs compared with 81 (7.4%) of 1100 control dogs (P < 0.001). Springer Spaniels (P = 0.02), Hungarian Vizslas (P = 0.02) and Airedale Terriers (P < 0.001) were also over-represented compared with the control sample. There was no evidence of an association between the occurrence of IMHA in dogs and season in this study. Receiving one or more blood transfusions did not affect survival to the time of discharge from hospital. On initial blood smear examination, 57 (51.8%) of the 110 dogs had spontaneous autoagglutination and its presence was associated with decreased survival to discharge from hospital (P = 0.03). Packed cell volume, white cell count, platelet count and serum total bilirubin on admission had no effect on survival to the time of discharge from hospital or 1 year later. CONCLUSION: Dogs with IMHA have a guarded prognosis as only half are still alive 1 year after the acute event.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20148823/