Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How useful are screening tests for dogs with immune-mediated
By Morrison, Tyler et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2025·Hospital for Small Animals, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Multicenter, Retrospective Determination of the Clinical Utility of Screening Tests in Dogs With Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 222 dogs diagnosed with immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) were studied to understand the causes and benefits of screening tests. About one-third of these dogs had underlying conditions that could be linked to their IMHA, such as infections or cancer. The research found that older dogs were more likely to have these associated issues. However, the overall value of extensive testing for individual dogs remains unclear. If your dog is diagnosed with IMHA, it might be worth discussing with your vet whether additional tests are necessary based on their age and health history.
People also search for: dog IMHA causes · immune-mediated hemolytic anemia in older dogs · dog anemia screening tests
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Potential triggers of immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) are often identified, but their frequency and the benefit of extensive screening for these to individual dogs is uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To assess the frequency of non-associative IMHA in dogs undergoing screening in Britain and Ireland and identify where specific tests could be beneficial. ANIMALS: Two hundred twenty-two client-owned dogs with IMHA. METHODS: Multicenter, retrospective cohort study of dogs with IMHA. Medical records and blood, urine, imaging, and pathology reports were reviewed. Cases were assessed for associative IMHA, and multivariable analysis was performed to define those. RESULTS: Associative IMHA was present in 73/222 (33%) dogs. Diagnoses included toxic (24/222, 11%); infectious (17/222, 8%); neoplastic (16/222, 7%) and non-infectious inflammatory (13/222, 6%) conditions. A further 102 dogs (46%) had a finding most likely incidental, with no pertinent findings in 47/222 (21%) dogs. Associative IMHA was more likely as patients aged (odds ratio 1.108 per year, 95% CI: 1.012-1.218, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The benefit of extensive diagnostic screening and implication of detected abnormalities remains uncertain for individual dogs with IMHA in Britain and Ireland. However, older dogs are more likely to have pertinent findings after a diagnosis of IMHA.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40944960/