Background: canine primary immune mediated hemolytic anemia (pIMHA) is the most common immunohematologic disease in dogs. It involves the destruction of red blood cells by the immune system resulting in a moderate to severe anemia in most patients. Despite its frequent description in the literature, only very few authors have described the vast range of morphological anomalies of erythrocytes, leukocytes and platelets that may be present during the disease.
Animals: This retrospective study investigates the clinical alterations in fifty-two cases of canine immune mediated hemolytic anemia between the years 2009 and 2015. The cases were collected from two veterinary teaching hospitals; Pisa University Department of Veterinary Sciences in Italy (n.30) and Hebrew University Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Israel (n.22).
Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical findings in two groups of dogs with pIMHA, as well as to describe the alterations most commonly observed in the patient's peripheral blood smears.
Keywords: Immune mediated hemolytic anemia; dog; retrospective cases; clinical findings; clinico-pathological findings; two veterinary teaching hospitals
