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PCV
Sept 7, 2010 20:01:49 GMT 10
Post by Worried on Sept 7, 2010 20:01:49 GMT 10
I have a bitch who has a low PCV. It is not reponding to treatment. Infact over the last month it has gone from 53% to 50%. This is dispite having a iron injection plus twice weekly shots of B12 /folic acid and B vits Please can you explain this and give me further help My vet is stomped
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PCV
Sept 8, 2010 18:38:47 GMT 10
Post by Tom Meulman on Sept 8, 2010 18:38:47 GMT 10
Hi, unfortunately non responsive anaemia is often difficult to diagnose.
However if you look at what occurs in the body of the greyhound that allows red blood cells to be produced the picture may become a little clearer.
Firstly red blood cells are produced in the marrow of the long bones, and therefore if the dog does a considerable amount of running, you can finish up in a situation where there is continues low level inflammation in these bones, and that can affect red cell production.
The next most important step in maintaining good levels of red blood cells requires the kidneys to produce sufficient EPO to stimulate red blood cell production. Therefore any kidney damage, infection or inflammation in the kidneys will also cause non responsive anaemia.
The other cause of lower than normal red blood cells is the continual destruction of red blood cells, of which the most common cause is blood sucking parasites such as a hookworm infestation.
To have a better chance of correctly diagnosing the actual cause of the anaemia, it would be best to have a full blood profile done as this should provide information on any underlying health problems that could be influencing the production of red blood cells.
The other thing to keep in mind is that no matter how much iron, folic acid or B12 you inject, you will not get any improvement in the anaemia if the kidneys are damaged. In fact excessive amounts of iron can increase kidney damage.
Tom
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