Vaccine-associated immune-mediated hemolytic anemia in the dog.    Source

Department of Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104-6010, USA.

Abstract

Vaccination has been incriminated as a trigger of immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) in dogs and in people, but evidence to support this association is lacking. In a controlled retrospective study, idiopathic IMHA was identified in 58 dogs over a 27-month period. When compared with a randomly selected control group of 70 dogs (presented for reasons other than IMHA) over the same period, the distribution of cases versus time since vaccination was different (P < .05). Fifteen of the dogs (26%) had been vaccinated within 1 month (mean, 13 days; median, 14 days; range, 1 to 27 days) of developing IMHA (P < .0001), whereas in the control group no marked increase in frequency of presentation was seen in the first month after vaccination. The dogs with IMHA were divided into 2 groups based on time since vaccination: the vaccine IMHA group included dogs vaccinated within 1 month of developing IMHA; the nonvaccine IMHA group included dogs that developed IMHA more than 1 month after vaccination. The recently vaccinated dogs with IMHA (vaccine IMHA group) had significantly lower platelet counts (P < .05) and a trend towards increased prevalence of intravascular hemolysis and autoagglutination when compared with the nonvaccine IMHA group. Similar mortality rates were seen in teh vaccine IMHA group (60%) and the nonvaccine IMHA group (44%), with the majority of fatalities (> 75%) occurring in the first 3 weeks after presentation. Persistent autoagglutination was a negative prognostic indicator for survival in both groups (P < .05). Presence of icterus and hyperbilirubinemia were negative prognostic indicators for survival in the nonvaccine IMHA group (P < .0001 and P < .01, respectively) but not in the vaccine IMHA group. In the recently vaccinated dogs, combination vaccines from various manufacturers against canine distemper, adenovirus type 2, leptospirosis, parainfluenza, and parvovirus (DHLPP) were involved in each case. Vaccines against rabies virus, Bordetella spp, coronavirus, and Lyme Borrelia were administrated concomitantly to some dogs. This study provides the first clinical evidence for a temporal relationship of vaccine-associated IMHA in the dog.

 

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Anemia Related to the Immune System in Dogs  Source

Symptoms and Types

Weakness
Lethargy
Poor appetite
Fainting
Exercise intolerance
Vomiting
Rapid breathing
Diarrhea
Increased thirst and urination in some dogs
Fever
Jaundice
Rapid heart rate
Melena (Black feces due to hemorrhage in gastrointestinal tract)
Petechia (red, purple spots on the body due to minor hemorrhages)
Ecchymoses (skin disco in patches or bruises)
Joint pains

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Mediated-Hemolytic-Anemia (Previously referred to as AIHA- Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia)   Source

Causes
There are two forms of IMHA: primary (or idiopathic), and secondary IMHA.
With primary IMHA, your dog’s immune system mistakenly produces antibodies that attack its own red blood cells. This is the most common cause of anemia in dogs.

With secondary IMHA, the surface of your dog’s red blood cells is modified by an underlying disease process, drug, or toxin. Your dog’s immune system identifies the modified red blood cells as something foreign and destroys them. When too many red blood cells are destroyed and not replaced quickly enough by bone marrow, the patient becomes anemic. Secondary IMHA can be triggered by a variety of conditions, such as:

Cancer
Infection
Blood parasites
Drug reactions
Snake bites
Exposure to certain chemicals and toxins
Bee stings or other allergic reactions

Symptoms
Symptoms may include:

Pale gums
Acting tired, weak, or listless
Shallow or rapid breathing
Faster than normal pulse
Lack of appetite
Weight loss
Black/Tarry stools
Eating dirt

These symptoms can vary from dog to dog and depend upon the underlying cause of IMHA. In some situations (mild or early IMHA), your dog may present no signs at all!

D J note: Please go to web site.  Many people dealing with this.  Something in very wrong.  Source