PATHOLOGY - Equine Anaemia Flashcards

1
Q

How does horse breed influence PCV?

A

Breeds used as racehorses are going to have a higher PCV compared to breeds used for leisure horses etc

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2
Q

How can exercise and stress affect an equine blood sample?

A

Exercise and stress cause splenic contraction which will increase the PCV

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3
Q

How can sedation affect an equine blood sample?

A

Sedation causes splenic relaxation which will decrease the PCV

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4
Q

What should you be aware of when using EDTA tubes to collect blood samples from horses?

A

In horses, erythrocytes and platelets tend to form rouleaux (aggregates) which can affect haematology results

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5
Q

Which blood tube should you use if you want to carry out an accurate platelet count in horses?

A

Sodium citrate tube

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5
Q

Which infectious agent should you test for in anaemic horses?

A

Piroplasmosis (not currently in the UK unless horse has been imported from an endemic area)

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6
Q

What can be done to prevent importing piroplasmosis into the UK?

A

Screen all imported horses for piroplasmosis using ELISA and PCR

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7
Q

What are the clinical signs of acute anaemia in horses?

A

Tachycardia
Tachypnoea
Hyperpnoea
Pale mucous membranes

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8
Q

What are the clinical signs of chronic anaemia in horses?

A

Exercise intolerance
Weight loss
Haemic murmur

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9
Q

What is a haemic murmur?

A

A haemic murmur is a heart murmur due to the decreased viscosity associated with anaemia which will result in turbulent blood flow

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10
Q

What are the two main causes of non-regenative anaemia?

A

Primary bone marrow disease
Secondary failure of erythropoiesis

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11
Q

Where are bone marrow samples taken from in horses for bone marrow evaluation?

A

Sternum

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12
Q

What is the most common cause of secondary failure of erythropoiesis in horses?

A

Chronic disease resulting in chronic inflammation

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13
Q

What are the two main forms of regenerative anaemia?

A

Haemorrhagic anaemia
Haemolytic anaemia

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14
Q

What are the distinguishing features of regenerative anaemia on a horse blood smear?

A

Anisocytosis
Howell-jolly bodies

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15
Q

(T/F) Horses do not have reticulocytes

A

TRUE.

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16
Q

What are the distinguishing features of regenerative anaemia on horse haematology?

A

Increased mean corpuscular volume (MCV)

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17
Q

What is the average blood volume in horses?

A

80 - 100ml/kg (depending on if they are warm or cold blooded, warm is on the higher end)

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18
Q

What can you do to determine if an anaemia is regenerative in a horse that has suffered acute haemorrhage?

A

You can take sequential blood samples to measure the PCV and the total protein and see if there is improvement

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19
Q

How quicky should PCV begin to improve following acute haemorrhage?

A

PCV should improve by 1% every 3 days following acute haemorrhage

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20
Q

How quicky should total proteins begin to improve following acute haemorrhage?

A

Albumin should begin to improve in 5 - 10 days post haemorrhage and immunoglobulins should begin to improve 3 - 4 weeks post haemorrhage

21
Q

Which site can be useful for taking sequential blood samples to monitor for regeneration?

A

Facial venous sinus

22
Q

What can you do to manage acute haemorrhagic anaemia?

A

Blood transfusion

23
Q

What are the two main indicators that a horse requires a blood transfusion?

A

Tachypnoea
Hyperpnoea

Indicates there is hypoxaemia or hypercapnia

24
Q

(T/F) Horses have pre-existing alloantibodies

A

FALSE. Horses do not typically have existing alloantibodies unless they have had a previous transfusion or have been pregnant

25
Q

What is the significance of horses not typically having alloantibodies?

A

Because horses do not typically have naturally occurring allo-antibodies, this means that for their first transfusion, it is safe to transfuse any blood type, however you will be required to cross-match any subsequent transfusions as the horse will have developed antibodies against the originally transfused blood type

26
Q

Why are Arab breeds not typically the best blood donors?

A

Arab horses have a high incidence of the Qa blood type which is relatively uncommon in horses and thus there is a higher risk that the donor and recipient blood will not be compatible

27
Q

Why are mares breeds not typically the best blood donors?

A

Mares may have produced antibodies against the foetal red blood antigens, making them more risky blood donors

28
Q

What is the ideal signalement for blood donation in horses?

A

Non-arab gelding

29
Q

How much blood can horses donate?

A

Horses can donate 1 litre of blood per 100kg of body weight

30
Q

Which vessel is used to administer blood products in horses?

A

Jugular vein

31
Q

What are four generalised causes of chronic haemorrhage and resulting anaemia in horses?

A

Gastrointestinal bleeding
Respiratory bleeding
Urinary tract bleeding
Coagulopathy

32
Q

How can you determine if a chronic haemorrhage has stopped in horses?

A

PCV
Total solids (TS)

33
Q

What is indicated by a low PCV and a low TS?

A

A low PCV and TS suggests that there is an ongoing chronic haemorrhage

34
Q

What is indicated by a low PCV but improving TS?

A

A low PCV but improving TS suggests that the bleeding has stopped however regeneration has been delayed

35
Q

What is indicated by an improving PCV, TS and an increased MCV?

A

An improving PCV, TS and an increased MCV suggests the bleeding has stopped and there is regeneration (MCV will increase due to the anisocytosis)

36
Q

What are the distinguising clinical signs of haemolytic anaemia?

A

Icterus
Haemaglobinuria
Hepato-splenomegaly
Pyrexia if there is an infectious aetiology

37
Q

What is the main cause of haemolytic anaemic in horses?

A

Immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA)

38
Q

What is the difference between primary immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA) and secondary immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA)?

A

Primary IMHA is an autoimmune response against the natural antigens present on the erythrocytes, whereas secondary IMHA is caused by molecular mimicry where infectious or chemical agents trigger autoimmunity by binding to the erythrocytes

39
Q

What is a common form of primary immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA) seen in horses?

A

Neonatal isoerythrolysis

40
Q

What is neonatal isoerythrolysis?

A

In pregnant mares, if the foetus has a different blood type , antibodies will be produced within the mare against the foetal erythrocyte antigens. This can become a problem in subsequent pregnancies if the foals have the same foreign erythrocyte antigens inherited from the stallion because the mare will have high levels of antibodies against the foal’s blood type. These maternal antibodies will be transmitted to the foal in colostrum and cause haemolytic anaemia

41
Q

What is the typical onset for neonatal isoerythrolysis?

A

2 to 3 days post parturition

42
Q

What are the clinical signs of neonatal isoerythrolysis?

A

Signs of acute anaemia
Weakness
Icterus

43
Q

How can you treat neonatal isoerythrolysis?

A

Supportive care
Blood transfusion

Very challenging to treat

44
Q

What can be done to prevent neonatal isoerythrolysis?

A

Cross-match the mare and stallion blood types
Prevent the foal from nursing for 24 hours
Use alternate form of colostrum

45
Q

What are four causes of secondary immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA) in horses?

A

Respiratory tract infections
Streptococcus abscesses
Drug-induced
Neoplasia

46
Q

How can respiratory tract infections cause secondary immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA) in horses?

A

Viruses such as influenza and herpes virus can release antigens which bind to erythrocytes, inducing an immune reponse against the erythrocytes and haemolysis

47
Q

How can streptococcus abscesses cause secondary immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA) in horses?

A

Streptococcus can release antigens which bind to erythrocytes, inducing an immune reponse against the erythrocytes and haemolysis

48
Q

Which three drugs can induce secondary immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA) in horses?

A

Penicillin
Sulphonamides
Acepromazine

49
Q

How can neoplasia cause secondary immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA) in horses?

A

Tumours can release antigens which bind to erythrocytes, inducing an immune reponse against the erythrocytes and haemolysis

50
Q

How do you treat equine immune mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA)?

A

Stop any drugs that could be inducing haemolysis
Immunosuppressive therapy
Blood transfusion if necessary

51
Q

Which two drugs can be used for immunosuppressive therpay in horses?

A

Dexamethasone
Prednisolone