Haemopoietic disease in farm animals

HAEMOPOIETIC DISEASE IN FARM ANIMALS

Etiology

  • Coagulation defects
    • Thrombocytopenia, thrombasthenia, thromopathy
    • Coumarol poisoning from
      • Warfarin poisoning and other rodenticides
      • Plants including moldy Melilotus, Anthroxanthum, Apium, Ferula spp.
    • Some snake venoms
    • Anticogulants secreted by Parafilaria spp.
    • Inherited defects
      • Hemophilia A
      • Von Willebrand disease
      • Factor XI deficiency
      • Prekallikrein deficiency
    • Idiopathic, vitamin K responsive, bleeding disease in young , grower pigs with prolonged prothrombin, activated partial thromboplastin times; related to feeding of antibacterials and interference with vitamin K intake from faeces, bedding
    • Idiopathic, vitamin C responsive, navel bleeding, new born pigs. Possibly due to collagen immaturity preventing proper dot formation. Navel cords thick, fleshy, do not shrunk, ooze, dip blood, mortality can be high. Prevented by feeding vitamin C for >6 days before farrowing
    • Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (consumption coagulapathy, DIC)

Clinical findings

  • Generally
    • Mucosal and cutaneous pretechiation
    • Spontaneous bleeding into cavities, tissues
    • Excessive bleeding from injuries, after sugery
    • Signs of anemia, hemorrhagic blood loss
    • External blood losses via hermatemesis, melena, hematochezia, dysentery, epistaxis, hermoptysis, hermaturia
    • Other specific organ involvement, e.g rental cortical necrosis, acute renal failure in horses
    • Clinical signs associated with bleeding from specific sites dealt with under hemorrhagic blood loss.

Clinical pathology

  • Thromobocytopenia, or
  • Deficit of one or more coagulation factors, or
  • Prolonged prothrombin or partial thromboplastin times
  • The clinical pathology of hemorrhagic anemia
  • Blood in paracentesis samples or excretions, secretions

DIC

  • Subclinical cases can only be detected by these examinations; early detection requires frequent monitoring in hazardous situations.
  • Diagnostic clinicpathological pattern include:
  • Erythrocyte distortion, fragmentation
  • Hypofibrinogenemia (not always in horses)
  • Abnormal prothrombin ( or activated partial thromboplastin time)
  • Fibrin degradation products present
  • Thrombocytopenia

Diagnosis

  • Differentiation between causes of hemorrhagic anemia or excessive bleeding as listed under etiology, dependent on clinical patholoty, detection of poisons in environment, history of repeated attacks , cases in related animals.

Treatment

  • Principal objective is treatment of primary disease
  • Response in terms of existing extravasations poor
  • Empirical supportive treatment includes:
  • Antihistamines in allergies
  • Corticosteroids in auto-immune disease
  • Epinephrine on a pad applied locally, including nasal mucosa
  • Parental coagulation used extensively, often without effect if endothelial damage already present

DIC

  • Active therapy of primary disease, especially toxemia
  • Intravenous fluid and electrolyte therapy to ensure proper tissue perfusion
  • Blood transfusion
Last modified: Tuesday, 5 June 2012, 12:56 PM