What is immune mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA)?
Immune mediated hemolytic anemia is one of the most prevalent immune mediated disorders in dogs. It is a condition whereby the red blood cells become coated with immunoglobulins (antibodies), leading to the premature destruction of these red blood cells by the dog’s own body. Coated red blood cells will either be destroyed (hemolysed) within the blood stream or by specialized white blood cells (macrophages) within the spleen or liver. The causes of immune mediated hemolysis can generally be divided into two categories, which are primary (also called idiopathic) and secondary. With primary immune mediated hemolytic anemia the underlying reason that antibodies are being produced against a dog’s red blood cells remains unclear or unknown. With secondary immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, the production of antibodies against red blood cells is secondary to another condition such as infection, allergy, inflammation or neoplasia (cancer). Certain drugs are known to trigger immune mediated hem
