Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Use of a bovine hemoglobin preparation in the treatment of cyclic ovarian hemorrhage in a miniature horse.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1993
- Authors:
- Maxson, A D et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical Studies · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 4-year-old miniature horse mare was suffering from anemia caused by bleeding from her ovaries. Since she had bad reactions to two previous blood transfusions and there were no suitable blood donors available, the veterinarians decided to use a special blood substitute made from bovine (cow) hemoglobin. After giving her this substitute, she did not have any serious side effects and eventually recovered. While more research is needed to confirm how safe and effective this treatment is for horses, it shows promise as a good alternative to traditional blood transfusions when necessary.
Abstract
Anemia that was secondary to ovarian hemorrhage in a 4-year-old miniature horse mare was treated prior to laparotomy with polymerized ultrapurified bovine hemoglobin (PUBH). Two previous whole-blood transfusions had resulted in acute transfusion reaction, and a suitable blood donor could not be found among 9 horses, necessitating use of the blood substitute. Subsequent blood typing revealed the mare to be Aa-negative, with allo-antibodies against Aa in serum. Serious adverse reactions were not observed after infusion of PUBH, and the mare recovered. Although the safety and efficacy of using PUBH in horses has not been established, PUBH may prove to be an excellent alternative to whole-blood transfusions, when indicated.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8253625/