Could you review current diagnostic and treatment trends for infectious hemolytic anemias in dogs and cats?
A. Dr. Adam J. Birkenheuer, at the 2006 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum in Louisville, Ky., gave a lecture on infectious hemolytic anemias. Here are relevant points from the lecture: Most hemolytic anemias (both idiopathic as well as those associated with an underlying disease) either are documented or presumed to be immune mediated with a smaller percentage mediated through oxidative damage, red blood cell (RBC) fragility or microangiopathic destruction. Most immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) cases are associated with IgG antibodies attached to the RBC surface and subsequent extravascular hemolysis by the reticuloendothelial system. Less frequently, hemolysis is mediated through the complement system resulting in intravascular hemolysis characterized by hemoglobinemia and hemoglobinuria. Despite the frequency with which we recognize IMHA, an underlying cause is identified in a minority of cases, including those cases without restrictions on the types or am
