Autoimmune Haemolytic Anaemia (AIHA) is a disease that is relatively rare in Basenjis. However, there have been a couple of Basenjis recently that have become affected with this disease. Anaemia is not a disease in itself, it is rather a symptom of another disease or disorder. Unlike Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency which also causes anaemia AIHA is not hereditary.
In the case of AIHA the body attacks and destroys its own red blood cells. In affected dogs, red blood cells are still produced on a continuous basis by the bone marrow, but once released into the blood stream, they have a shortened life span.
The dogs affected are normally elderly. Studies show that there is a correlation between AIHA and over vaccination. The symptoms of AIHA have often been found to commence 1-2 months after the vaccine is administered.
I recommend titre testing and only revaccinating when the titre level is Nil. Dogs that have been desexed early are more prone to immune mediated diseases die to not only desexing but in combination with over-vaccination.
Posted in: Autoimmune Haemolytic Anaemia, Health & Wellbeing