Bone marrow produces red blood cells and releases them into the blood. These red blood cells transport oxygen throughout your dog’s body, which allows its entire body to function properly. After around 8 weeks, the body removes the old blood cells from the bloodstream and creates new ones.

Anemia is a reduced number of red blood cells in your pet’s blood. An anemic dog will either remove too many cells or not produce enough new ones.



  • Blood does not clot properly
  • Any injury that causes excessive bleeding



  • Lack of energy and depression
  • Loss of appetite and weight loss


Your veterinarian will begin with:

  • Reviewing themedical history
  • Physical exam

Thenthe veterinarian will perform different blood tests:

  • PCV (Packed Cell Volume): Checks the ratio of red blood cells to the rest of the blood. In a healthy pet, 25% to 45% percent of the blood will be red blood cells. If less than 25% is red blood cells, the animal is anemic
  • CBC (Complete blood count): Measures the total amount of red and white blood cells in the body

Other tests:




If the anemia is life threatening, your dog will need an immediate blood transfusion, which will temporarily stabilize them. This allows your veterinarian to determine the cause of the anemia, and begin the appropriate treatment.


There are a variety of causes for anemia, and most of them are preventable. The best thing to do is to ensure your dog is up to date on all preventives, especially for fleas, ticks and internal parasites.


The prognosis depends on the medical problem that is causing the anemia. If you catch the anemia early and your dog is in overall good health, there is a good prognosis for recovery.Sometimes, a more severe disease, such as cancer, causes anemia, and it could be life threatening.