Retrospective study of the causes of anemia in dogs

• Grant number: 13/01157-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2013
• End date: December 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Mitika Kuribayashi Hagiwara
• Grantee: Tatiane Queiroz Zorzeto
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Anemia is frequently diagnosed in veterinary practice. It may have several causes, some of which are life-threatening. Although anemia of inflammatory disease is reported to be the most common cause of anemia in small animals, only a few studies have assessed the prevalence of different causes of anemia in dogs. In Brazil, specifically, there are only case reports, and the prevalence of anemia is unknown in general and in a particular way, as in a scenario of a Veterinary Hospital of an Education Institution. Identifying the underlying cause that results in the development of anemia, as soon as possible, is a great challenge for the clinician, with a significant impact on the conduct of the case, when determining a prognosis or at the institution of appropriate therapy. Therefore, verifying the association between the underlying disease and type of anemia can provide critical information for diagnosis and decision-making at the first evaluation of the patient. The objective of this study is to obtain information about the causes of anemia in dogs, characterizing anemias according to the probable pathophysiological mechanism involved. Among the specific objectives, it is proposed to determine: 1. Relative frequency of anemia cases according to bone marrow response, probable cause, race, age, and severity of anemia; 2. Association between the clinical diagnosis and severity of anemia 3. Association between the cause of anemia and breed of the animal. In a preliminary survey of blood counts performed within the period of a month, of patients seen in January 2012 in the Veterinary Hospital of FMVZ-USP, 270 patients were identified as anemic, which allows us to potentially obtain the desired information in at least 3,200 cases. It is estimated that at least fifty percent of these cases meet the inclusion criteria specified, which would establish a universe of about 1,600 cases of anemia. (AU)