Dog Blood: Disorders, Symptoms and Safe Treatments

Dog blood disorders may alarm you when you see excessive bleeding after your dog cuts herself on a sharp object like the edge of your table or a bone and you might notice your dog bruises easily when she plays with other dogs… even worse you may have to clean up a bloody mess after your dog has a nosebleed which ends up with an emergency visit to your veterinarian to find out what’s wrong with your dog’s blood.

This article about your dog’s bleeding disorders explains causes, symptoms and treatments to help you keep your dog safe.

3 Symptoms of Dog Blood Disorders

Accurate reports of your dog’s symptoms are critical for your veterinarian to be able to properly diagnose your dog’s blood disorder. You will need to include the severity and dates of each episode.

Your veterinarian will conduct a urinalysis to look at proteins in your dog’s urine and order a complete blood count to review her platelet count, anemia, clotting and check for abnormal red and white blood cells.

Here are 3 blood disorder symptoms:

1. Bleeding – Your dog may have spontaneous and excessive bleeding from a simple cut or surgery. This means you need to check your dog’s body and her mouth for signs of dog blood disorders in case of spontaneous bleeding that may not be caused by an injury.

2. Nosebleeds – You may see blood dripping from your dog’s nose or blood in her water bowl due to irritated or swollen blood vessels.

3. Bruising – Your dog’s blood vessels may be sensitive to pressure which results in bruising during surgery or active play with people and other dogs.

5 Causes of Your Dog’s Bleeding Disorders

Congenital Clotting Protein Disorder – Hypofibrinogenemia, a genetically inherited protein deficiency, can prevent blot clotting in breeds like Saint Bernard and Vizsla.
Deficiency of Factor VII – Bruising and excessive bleeding during surgery occurs due to the deficiency of a dog blood clotting protein called Factor VII found in these breeds: Alaskan Malamute, Beagle, Boxer, English Bulldog and Miniature Schnauzer.
Canine Thombopathia – This disorder is due to a congenital defect in the function of platelets where they don’t clot properly. The only breed affected by Canine Thombopathia is the Basset Hound. Symptoms include nosebleed, bleeding gums, and tiny spot-like bruises on your dog’s skin.
Von Willebrand’s Disease – The most common congenital bleeding disorder is Von Willebrand’s factor, a deficiency in the protein that regulates blood clot formation. These breeds are most prone to this dog blood disorder: Basset Hound, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Miniature Schnauzer, Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Standard Manchester Terrier, Standard Poodle, Scottish Terrier, and Shetland Sheepdog.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever – This disease is caused by the Rickettsia parasite transmitted by ticks which kills blood cells and causes your dog’s blood vessels to swell. Symptoms include nosebleeds, bruises, bloody urine or feces, and bleeding in your dog’s retina.

Safe Treatment of Your Dog’s Blood Disorders

· Platelet transfusion – Your dog with a decreased platelet count may require a platelet transfusion.

· Cell transfusion – Your dog with anemia may require a cell transfusion of whole blood or packed red blood cell type.

Home care and check-ups – Dog blood disorders require regular visits to your veterinarian to monitor your dog’s urine and blood counts. You should restrict your dog’s movement If she has a bleeding episode. Give your dog soft food if she has bleeding gums and don’t let your dog chew on bones or hard toys.

Note: If your dog has a congenital bleeding disorder, you may want to have your dog spayed or neutered in order to prevent passing her disorder along to her puppies.

4 Herbal Remedies to Keep Your Dog’s Blood Healthy

Choose from these 4 herbal remedies to help support your dog with dog blood disorders:

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Bone broth and bone broth powder – helps support your dog’s immune system and detoxify her blood. Make this broth with organic grass-fed cow bones. Pour enough water in your crock pot to cover bones with an extra 3 inches of water above the bones. Add 3-4 tablespoons organic apple cider vinegar to pull out minerals from the bones. Cook on high for 1 hour, then on low heat for 24 hours. Remove bones and dispose. Don’t allow your dog to chew on these cooked bones because they’re brittle. Add 1/4 cup of cool bone broth to your dog’s food if she’s under 10 pounds or 1/2 cup if she’s over 10 pounds.

2. Marjoram – high in beta carotenes, essential oils, lutein & xanthins, iron, and vitamins A, C & K which helps with dog blood conditions like blood circulation. Sprinkle marjoram powder in your dog’s food or add cool marjoram tea to her water or food bowl. Marjoram is also available in capsules. Dosage for small dogs: Pinch of powder, 1/2 capsule, up to 1/4 cup tea. Dosage for medium to large dogs: 1-2 teaspoons daily, 1 capsule, 1/2 – 1 cup tea.

2. Plantain – a backyard weed that’s good for blood clotting. Put plantain leaves in your blender or juicer and give your dog 1 teaspoon daily for every 20 pounds.

3.Turmeric – a powerful anti-inflammatory herb that can help dog blood disorders by reducing blood clots. Heat a mixture of 1/2 cup turmeric powder, 2 cups water, 1/4 cup coconut oil and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper to make a thick paste. You can refrigerate turmeric paste in a sealed glass container and keep for 1 month. Dosage for turmeric should not exceed 1/4 teaspoon for every 10 pounds of your dog’s weight and not exceed 1 teaspoon for dogs over 100 pounds. Turmeric is known as a “warming” spice and should not be given to dogs with dog blood disorders who are naturally hot or pant excessively. Check with your vet before you give turmeric to your dog to make sure it will not interfere with your dog’s medications or health conditions.

Now you know about blood disorders, causes and treatments that could affect your dog’s health. I hope this article helps you with your dog’s blood challenges. You can share your dog’s blood story in our comments section below.

Share this article on blood disorders with your family and friends so they have all the information they need to take care of their dog who may have a dog blood disease.

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