Aa
my dogs not well
my spaniel hasn't eaten for 2days,the food he ate he fetched back,he seems unsteady on his feet and is not his usual energetic self,his urine seems realy dark,brownish in colour.
I didn't know what type of spaniel he is, I guess he's a cocker? They are prone to autoimmune hemolytic anemia. I don't know why, because I went back and read all of your posts and not one of them said anything other than "spaniel", but I had myself convinced somehow that he was a springer! I don't know where I got THAT from! What a relief to hear! I am SO glad that he's back to his old self! WONDERFUL news!!
Ghilly
Ghilly
vet say's it's something spaniels are prone to,he went back yesterday and is doing well,his blood count as doubled since friday,he is back to his energetic self.
we took him back to vets for check-up,he is responding to the steroids,he will need to have these tablets for rest of his life .
My first thought was that he had Heinz body anemia. As soon as you said that his urine was brown, that's a pretty textbook sign of a Heinz body anemia. That was the reason for my asking whether or not he had eaten onions in the last week.
Heinz bodies are little blobs of oxidized hemoglobin. There's one of these on each red blood cell and it's actually a weak spot on the cell. When a dog eats onions, the sulfur compounds in the onion cause the Heinz bodies to rupture and release the hemoglobin. This rupturing of the red blood cells is known as hemolysis. The body then passes out the dead red blood cells in the urine, and the brown color that you see is those dead red blood cells.
As long as the hemolysis stops before too many red blood cells are destroyed, the body WILL rebuild its supply of red blood cells. It can take a few days for the hemolysis to stop and for the number of remaining red blood cells to reach their lowest point, but the body is generating new cells even as the existing cells are being destroyed, so hopefully this is an acute incident caused by one ingestion of a substance and not something chronic that the body will have to deal with on a constant basis. Even though it makes them quite ill, an acute incident can be recovered from, if it's something chronic, then that's another story.
Please continue to keep us updated on your dog's condition. You are both in my thoughts.
Ghilly
Heinz bodies are little blobs of oxidized hemoglobin. There's one of these on each red blood cell and it's actually a weak spot on the cell. When a dog eats onions, the sulfur compounds in the onion cause the Heinz bodies to rupture and release the hemoglobin. This rupturing of the red blood cells is known as hemolysis. The body then passes out the dead red blood cells in the urine, and the brown color that you see is those dead red blood cells.
As long as the hemolysis stops before too many red blood cells are destroyed, the body WILL rebuild its supply of red blood cells. It can take a few days for the hemolysis to stop and for the number of remaining red blood cells to reach their lowest point, but the body is generating new cells even as the existing cells are being destroyed, so hopefully this is an acute incident caused by one ingestion of a substance and not something chronic that the body will have to deal with on a constant basis. Even though it makes them quite ill, an acute incident can be recovered from, if it's something chronic, then that's another story.
Please continue to keep us updated on your dog's condition. You are both in my thoughts.
Ghilly
COMMUNITY LEADER
Oh my goodness, I really hope he will be ok. It's great you got him to the vet's quickly. I hope that he responds well to any treatment. I am thinking of you, and him.
I took him to vets,he has an heart murmur and some kind of blood disease,that is destroying all his red blood cells,he has had massive dose of steroids,the next 48hrs are crucial,thanks for your feedback.
Hi, There could be many reasons why he is like this.
If I were you, I would take him to the vet immediately.
If I were you, I would take him to the vet immediately.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Dogs Community
Members of our Pet Communities share their Halloween pet photos.
Like to travel but hate to leave your pooch at home? Dr. Carol Osborne talks tips on how (and where!) to take a trip with your pampered pet
Ooh and aah your way through these too-cute photos of MedHelp members' best friends
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Is he on any medication at the moment? Certain medications can cause dark urine. Dehydration can cause darker urine than usual. But my guess is he maybe has a liver problem. Check the whites of his eyes. Do they look yellow-ish? Are his gums pink and healthy? Or do they look pale, and yellowish too? If so, he is jaundiced.
When you visit the vet, take a urine sample with you. It will save time, and help perhaps with diagnosis.
Please take him as soon as you can. If he won't eat, and is vomiting, then the chances are that he is dehydrated. For a dog, that in itself can become quite serious very quickly.