Farm Animal Anaemia

Question 1

What are the clinical signs of anaemia in cattle?

Answer 1

Pallor, lack of exercise tolerance, weakness, haemic murmur, red urine, jaundice, dependent oedema, black faeces and swollen udder

Question 2

What should always be checked in suspected anaemia cases?

Answer 2

MM of eyes, mouth, nose and vulva but remember normally pale in comparison to MM of other animals

Question 3

What signs are seen on bloods of a farm animal with anaemia?

Answer 3

Low PCV and haemoglobin, immature erythrocytes, evidence of regeneration and jaundice

Question 4

What are the normal levels of PCV and Hb in cattle, sheep and swine?

Answer 4

Cattle PCV = 24-46%, Hb = 8-15g/dl
Sheep PCV = 27-45%, Hb = 9-15g/dl
Swine PCV = 22-38%, Hb = 8-12g/dl

Question 5

What are the characteristics of haemorrhagic anaemia?

Answer 5

Blood loss, regenerative anaemia

Question 6

What can cause haemorrhagic anaemia?

Answer 6

Caudal vena caval syndrome, enzootic haematuria, ruptured uterine artery, ruptured aorta, haemonchosis, fasciolosis, lice, mites and ticks, abomasal ulcer

Question 7

What are the signs of enzootic haematuria?

Answer 7

Haematuria with blood clots, frequent urination, thickened bladder +/- palpated on rectal, chronic progressive anaemia signs, internal bleedings

Question 8

What causes enzootic haematuria?

Answer 8

Bracken fern toxicity

Question 9

What causes abomasal ulcers?

Answer 9

Sand, DA or stress

Question 10

How are abomasal ulcers diagnosed?

Answer 10

Occult blood in faeces/black stinking dung, free air in abdomen and abdominal pain

Question 11

What are the characteristics of haemolytic anaemia?

Answer 11

Erythrocyte destruction and regenerative anaemia

Question 12

What are the causes of haemolytic anaemia?

Answer 12

Leptospirosis, post-parturient haemoglobulinuria, protozoa (Babesia/Eperythmozoan), chronic copper poisoning, cold water ingestion, Brassica spp poisoning, drug induced, blood transfusion, autoimmune haemolytic anaemia

Question 13

Which species and breeds are most/least susceptible to copper poisoning?

Answer 13

Sheep are more susceptible than cattle

Texels and Suffolk mos susceptible, Scottish Blackface and Merinos least susceptible

Question 14

What is the mechanism of pathology of chronic copper poisoning?

Answer 14

Stored and accumulates in liver causing centrilobar necrosis if >750ppm resulting in sudden release of copper from liver into blood leading to an acute fatal syndrome

Question 15

What are the risk factors for chronic copper poisoning?

Answer 15

Fed with concentrate feeds >4ppm needed for normal health and >12ppm may be dangerous and many commercial feeds exceed this

Question 16

What are the signs of chronic copper poisoning?

Answer 16

Jaundice, pallor, haemoglobinuria, depression, death 24-48 hours post haemolytic event

Question 17

What is seen on bloods of animal with chronic copper poisoning?

Answer 17

Elevated blood and liver copper, increased plasma AST

Question 18

What is found on necropsy of animal with chronic copper poisoning?

Answer 18

Swollen yellow liver, swollen ‘gunmetal’ kidneys, jaundice

Question 19

How is chronic copper toxicity diagnosed?

Answer 19

Haemoglobinuria, jaundice and anaemia

Question 20

What is the treatment for chronic copper toxicity?

Answer 20

Ammonium tetrathionolybalate at 2.7mg/kg with 2-3 day interval and 3-6 treatments
Ammonium molybdate 100mg + sodium sulphate 1g oral daily
Sodium calcium edetate 70mg/kg IV for 2 days
Euthanasia

Question 21

What are the causes of depressed/inadequate erythrocyte production?

Answer 21

Cobalt/copper deficiency, iron deficiency, acute bracken poisoning, fasciolosis, lymphosarcoma, chronic renal disease, anaemia of inflammatory disease, radiation damage

Question 22

What are the signs of anaemia of inflammatory disease?

Answer 22

Alterations in iron matabolism, depressed bone marrow response, shorter lifespan of erythrocytes

Question 23

How is anaemia treated in farm animals?

Answer 23

Blood transfusion from dry cow, need 5L

Haematinics = Fe, Cu, Vit B12, high protein, fresh foods