Ways to Prevent Dog Anemia

Several factors contribute to anemia in dogs. Everything from fleas to genetic diseases can cause bleeding and loss of blood which will result in a low blood cell count.

Some symptoms of anemia may be vomiting, weight loss, weakness or lethargy or yellow skin. Sometimes there are no symptoms at all, especially if the anemia is not from any diseases.

To prevent dog anemia you must first find out what is causing the problem. A veterinarian can run a blood test and you will know right away if your dog has a low blood cell count. If the test reveals no serious illness there are steps you can take to prevent dog anemia.

Natural and home remedies for dog anemia have been used quite successfully by pet owners and holistic veterinarians. These include;

• Feeding your dog a well balanced natural diet of premium dog food or raw food with plenty of protein.
  
•  Adding some liver and green veggies to his diet; both help the liver and the blood. Do not however add onions or garlic as they are toxic and contain substances called sulfoxides and disulfides, which can damage red blood cells causing anemia. Cats are more likely to be affected by this but why take the chance.
  
•   Use a natural flea and tick collar. Commercial type flea collars with chemicals like cyphenothrin and permethrin are synthetic toxic poisons that can weaken our pet's immune systems. Beside skin irritations and hair loss, flea dips have been shown to cause cancer. The popular spot-in products may be convenient but there were over 40,000 reported cases of side effects in just the US. The problems affected their coat, digestion and nervous system and some dogs died; the smaller the dog the more problems naturally.
  
• Supplements like nutritional yeast, kelp, vitamin C and the B vitamins can help build the blood and also strengthen their immune system.
  
• Some herbal formulas and herbs that cleanse the blood and help the liver are red clover, yellow dock, burdock, raspberry, dandelion, echinacea, ashwagandha and milk thistle. You can find these or a combination of various herbs in homeopathic dog formulas.