Hematopoietic Disorders

Question 1

What causes oxidative hemolysis? What are the clinical signs and abnormality in blood work?

Answer 1

Causes: red maple leaf, wild onion, nitrates
Clinical signs: concurrent with intra/extravascular hemolysis
Abnormalities: heinz bodies, methemoglobin, hemoglobenuria, hemoglobenemia

Question 2

What is EIA? How do you diagnose? Tx?

Answer 2

EIA: RNA retrovirus spread by biting flies= infection for life.

• The virus lives inside macrophages and can induce bouts of anemia, thrombocytopenia, fever and weight loss.
• Dx using the Coggins test
• No vaccine or treatment: supportive care

Question 3

What is equine piroplasmosis? What two organisms cause and which is worse?

Answer 3

Caused by two protozoa that live in the RBC. One is B. caballi and the other is T. equi (worse). They cause intravascular hemolysis. Can treat B. caballi with Imidocarb (anti-protozoan)

Question 4

What is equine granulocytic erhlichiosis?

Answer 4

This bacteria is transmitted through ticks. The pathology is unknown, but this bacteria causes a thrombocytopenia, anemia and leukopenia. Classic signs for this disease are petechial hemorrhage, pitting edema and ataxia.

Question 5

What are 3 differential dx for a horse with thrombocytopenia?

Answer 5

1. Equine Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis
2. Equine Infectious Anemia
3. Immune-Mediated second to bacteria, virus
4. Auto-Immune (Immune-Med. Primary)

Question 6

What are 3 dx for a horse with anemia?

Answer 6

1. Equine Infectious Anemia
2. Equine Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis
3. Chronic Disease Anemia