Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with kidney infection causing high red blood cells
By Kessler, M·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2008·Tierklinik Hofheim, Germany·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Secondary polycythaemia associated with high plasma erythropoietin concentrations in a dog with a necrotising pyelonephritis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 11-year-old mixed breed dog was brought to the vet because he was not eating, seemed lethargic, and had blood in his urine. Tests showed he had a high number of red blood cells and elevated levels of a hormone called erythropoietin, which can indicate kidney issues. An ultrasound revealed a kidney mass, and after surgery to remove the affected kidney, the dog's blood values returned to normal. This case highlights how a serious kidney infection can lead to increased red blood cell production in dogs.
People also search for: dog blood in urine · dog kidney infection treatment · why is my dog not eating and lethargic
Abstract
An 11-year-old mixed breed dog was presented with anorexia, apathy and intermittent macrohaematuria, absolute polycythaemia (packed cell volume, 80 per cent; red blood cell, 12.2 x 10(6)/microl) and elevated erythropoietin concentrations. A renal mass was detected by ultrasonography and, following total nephrectomy, diagnosed as necrotising pyelonephritis. After surgery, the haematological parameters and erythropoietin values returned to normal, suggesting that the pyelonephritis was the cause of the polycythaemia. While secondary polycythaemia because of a non-neoplastic condition of the kidneys occasionally occurs in human beings, it has only extremely rarely been reported in dogs. This is the first case report of a unilateral pyelonephritis causing secondary polycythaemia in a dog.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18482331/