Neonatal Isoerythrolysis

Condition Overview

This is a quite rare but often fatal hemolytic anemia of the newborn puppies that sometimes occurs when a dam with one blood type is mated to a dog with another.

Symptoms

Early clinical signs of the disease include dark red-brown urine, weakness, failure to thrive, and jaundice. Death can occur in 24 hours.

All symptoms +

Causes

The puppies who inherit the blood group of the sire develop hemolytic anemia when the ingest colostrum that contains antibodies designed to attack their red blood cells. These antibodies are manufactured by the dam only if she has been previously sensitized to the sire's blood group antigens - which can occur when fetal cells of a different blood type cross the placenta.

Affected puppies are born healthy and start to nurse vigorously. Once they drink the dam's colostrum, the dam's antibodies begin to destroy their red blood cells. They start to show clinical signs within hours to days, stop nursing, and fail to thrive. They will develop hemolytic anemia within 1 - 2 days after birth and some or all will die.

Diagnosis

Blood tests, urinalysis, and blood typing can diagnose the condition.

Treatment

As soon as you suspect hemolytic anemia, stop all nursing and notify your veterinarian. The puppies may require blood transfusions from a compatible donor to restore their red cells. Puppies from subsequent litters should not be allowed to receive colostrum from the dam, unless the sire and dam have compatible blood types.

Prevention

Blood typing prior to breeding will help to regulate this condition.

Support

Please contact your veterinarian with questions regarding this condition.