Prevalence of anaemia in dogs
In the present study to determine the prevalence of anaemia in dogs at Jabalpur, an epidemiological study was conducted for a period of twelve months
i.e., from May, 2024 to April, 2025. A total of 10.785 dogs presented to Veterinary Clinical Complex, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, NDVSU, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, were screened for the presence of clinical signs indicative of anaemia, out of which 1.933 dogs showed clinical signs associated with anaemia. Among 1,933 suspected dogs, 801 were found positive for anaemia basing on clinical signs, haematological and biochemical evaluations. The study showed an overall prevalence of 41.44 per cent of anaemia in dogs in Jabalpur (Table 1).
The findings of the current study are in close agreement with earlier reports.
Bhat et al., (2016) documented a prevalence of 44.83% in dogs in Punjab, which is comparable to the 41.44% recorded in the present study. However, variations in prevalence have been reported in different geographic regions. For instance,
Meshram et al. (2019) reported a higher prevalence of 58.33% in Mumbai and
Singh et al. (2012) reported 47.44% in the Jammu region, whereas
Panchal et al. (2022) reported a markedly lower prevalence of 7.86% in Gujarat. The variations in prevalence of anaemia among dogs may be attributed to several factors which include demographic differences such as age, breed, sex and overall health status of the population. It is important to recognize that anaemia itself is not a disease but a clinical indicator of an underlying pathological condition. Therefore, variations in prevalence likely reflect differences in the distribution of causative factors and husbandry practices across different canine populations and geographical regions.
Age wise prevalence of anaemia in dogs
The dogs of varying ages included in the study were classified into six categories
i.e. puppy, juvenile, young adults, mature adults, senior dogs and geriatric. The age wise prevalence of anaemia was found significantly higher (51.06%) in puppy (Table 2).
The result of present study correlates well with the findings of
Singh et al. (2012), who reported highest prevalence of anaemia in dogs below 6 months of age (44.61%) and lowest in 3-6 years of age group (7.69%). Similarly,
Mondal et al. (2019) found highest prevalence in age group <1 year (58.26%). In addition,
Meshram et al. (2019) reported highest incidence in young age group (38.46%) whereas
Shah et al. (2020) under 1 year of age. On the contrary,
Tandel et al. (2016) reported highest incidence of anaemia in the adult dogs (58.83%) and lowest in senile group (19.60%) whereas
Bhaskar (2017) recorded highest prevalence in dogs aged between 6 months to 4 years. The higher prevalence of anaemia observed in pups may be attributed to their immature immune system, which renders them more susceptible to viral and parasitic infections which often lead to haemolysis, blood loss, or impaired erythropoiesis, thereby contributing to the development of anaemia in the younger animals.
Gender wise prevalence of anaemia in dogs
Gender wise prevalence of anaemia was found significantly higher in male dogs i.e. 45.22 per cent when compared to female dogs
i.e. 37.08 per cent (Table 3). The present findings are in accordance with the previous studies carried out by
Panchal et al. (2022) who reported highest prevalence in males (68.50%) than in females (31.50%) whereas
Tandel et al. (2016) reported slightly higher incidence in male dogs (52.94%) than in females (47.06%).
Breed wise prevalence of anaemia in dogs
Breed wise prevalence of anaemia varied significantly with the highest (54.99 per cent) occurrence recorded in Labrador Retriever dogs (Table 4).
Variations in breed wise prevalence of anaemia in dogs was earlier reported by various authors.
Bhat et al. (2016),
Shah et al. (2020) and
Panchal et al. (2022) found highest prevalence in Labradors, however,
Singh et al. (2012) reported higher prevalence in mixed or indigenous breed (52.33%),
Bhaskar et al. (2017) reported highest incidence in German shepherds (23.42%) whereas
Meshram et al. (2019) reported in Mastiffs and chihuahua. The variations in breed wise occurrence across studies might be due to regional differences in breed distribution, management practices, environmental conditions and the nature of cases presented to veterinary hospitals. The high prevalence in Labradors may be attributed to their greater population density and popularity as companion animals in urban regions, leading to overrepresentation in hospital-based studies.
Clinical assessment of anaemia in dogs
Clinical assessment of anaemia was made by recording various parameters
viz. rectal temperature, respiration rate, heart rate, color of visible mucus membrane, capillary refill time and appetite status in dogs found anaemic during the study. The most common clinical signs observed under the present study were hypothermia (44.07%), tachycardia (66.67%), tachypnoea (65.42%), pale mucous membrane (53.56%), capillary refill time of 2-3 seconds (39.45%) and anorexia (51.69%) (Table 5).
Hassan et al. (2022) recorded most common clinical manifestations in anaemic dogs as pale mucous membranes, tachycardia, tachypnea and low performance which are in accordance with the present study. Similar findings were reported by
Tandel et al., (2016), Bhaskar (2017) and
Hazarika (2022).
Unlike hyperthermia, which was commonly associated with infections such as babesiosis and ehrlichiosis, hypothermia may reflect a reduced metabolic rate. Compensatory responses were typically indicated by tachypnea and tachycardia, whereas bradypnea may signal exhaustion in the animal (
Bhaskar, 2017). A hallmark clinical sign of anaemia was pale mucous membranes which was visible in non-pigmented areas such as the conjunctiva, mouth, penis, vulva and underlying skin. The pallor may be resulting from peripheral vasoconstriction and reduced blood flow to vital organs
(Wintrobe et al., 1974), reduced renal erythropoietin production, blood loss (
e.g., melena) or decreased RBC survival due to uremic toxicity (
Cowgill, 2003). However, the absence of pallor does not rule out anaemia and it may also occur due to shock or circulatory disturbances
(Evans et al., 1987). Conversely, congested mucous membranes may indicate severe dehydration, while icteric mucosa suggests hemolysis or liver dysfunction.
Classification of anaemia in dogs
Classification of anaemia in dogs based on severity
The anaemic dogs (n=801) included in the study were categorized based on severity of anaemia into four distinct groups: mild, moderate, severe and very severe anaemia. The present classification was made in accordance with haemato- logical reference ranges as described by
Tvedten (2005).
A majority of anaemic dogs (440 dogs; 54.93%) were classified as having mild anaemia, indicating a slight reduction in haemoglobin levels or packed cell volume (PCV) (Table 6). The present findings were in accordance with
Tvedten (2022) and
Liu and Su (2015), the latter reporting highest (42.6%) prevalence of mild anaemia in dogs. However,
Chervier et al., (2012) and
Singh et al. (2012) reported highest prevalence of moderate anaemia in dogs. The predominance of mild to moderate anaemia in dogs suggests that most cases were detected and presented at early stages of disease progression. The present study supports the above findings and highlights the importance of early diagnosis and intervention to prevent progression to critical stages.
Morphological classification
Classification of anaemia in dogs based on erythrocytic indices
In the present study the most prevalent morphological subtype was microcytic hypochromic anaemia which was observed in 314 dogs (39.20%) (Table 7). The findings are consistent with the previous reports of
Swami et al. (2024) and
Meshram et al. (2019), who also documented a high prevalence of microcytic hypochromic anaemia in dogs (44.74% and 59.09%, respectively). The predominance of this subtype was commonly associated with chronic parasitic infestations, gastrointestinal blood loss and nutritional iron deficiency, which were frequent in both pet and stray dog populations in India. Microcytic hypochromic anaemia reflects impaired haemoglobin synthesis, often secondary to inadequate iron availability or chronic inflammatory states, both of which were prevalent in canine populations exposed to suboptimal management and environmental conditions.
Prevalence of regenerative and non-regenerative anaemia in dogs
The majority of anaemic dogs (642 out of 801; 80.15%) were diagnosed with regenerative anaemia, indicating an active bone marrow response characterized by the release of immature erythrocytes (reticulocytes) into circulation. Further, non-regenerative anaemia was observed in 159 dogs (19.85%), reflecting inadequate or suppressed erythropoietic activity (Table 8). Regenerative anaemia was typically associated with causes such as haemorrhage, haemolysis, parasitism, or immune-mediated destruction of erythrocytes and was commonly linked with chronic kidney disease, bone marrow disorders, endocrinopathies, or chronic inflammatory states, wherein the bone marrow fails to mount an appropriate regenerative response.
Degree of regeneration
The regenerative response to anaemia in dogs was further evaluated based on the absolute reticulocyte count (/μL of blood), which serves as a reliable marker of bone marrow activity. On the basis of absolute reticulocyte count the highest degree of regeneration was of moderate type
i.e. 386 dogs (48.19%) followed by mild degree of regeneration in 231 (28.84%) dogs, normal regeneration in 159 (19.85%) dogs and marked regeneration in 25 (3.12%) dogs only (Table 9).
Saraniya et al. (2015) reported that non- regenerative anaemia (65.12%) had higher prevalence compared to regenerative anaemia (34.8%).
Chervier et al., (2012) reported that non- regenerative anaemia predominated (67%) when compared to regenerative anaemia (55.2%). Among regenerative cases, a large proportion of dogs demonstrated a moderate degree of regeneration, indicating an active erythropoietic response likely due to haemolysis or recent blood loss. These findings emphasize that while the majority of anaemic dogs showed a regenerative response, the extent of regeneration varied, with nearly half displaying a moderate regenerative response and highlighting the dynamic nature of erythropoiesis in clinical canine anaemia.
Anaemia and associated clinical conditions in dogs
In the present study, anaemia was observed in association with a wide range of systemic disorders in dogs. Among the identified causes, renal disorders constituted the major underlying condition, accounting for 124 cases (15.48%), followed closely by hepatic disorders with 118 cases (14.73%) (Table 10). The results indicate that renal and hepatic disorders were the most frequent systemic conditions associated with anaemia in dogs, followed by infectious and parasitic causes. Further, the neoplastic, reproductive, traumatic and miscellaneous disorders may also contribute to a smaller proportion of cases.
Panchal et al. (2022) conducted similar studies and reported that the highest prevalence of anaemia was found associated with GIT disorders (22.05%), followed with endo-parasitic (6.30%), ecto-parasitic (15.75%), haemoprotozoan (2.36%) and viral (14.96%) infections and lowest in Pyometra (0.79%) affected dogs. Similarly,
Hassan et al. (2022) conducted studies to find out the common etiopathologies of anaemia in dogs and reported that parvo viral infection, ectoparasitic infestation, malnutrition and hepatic or renal diseases were the main four definitive causes of anaemia. Hemoprotozoan infections such as babesiosis are known to induce hemolytic anemia through destruction of erythrocytes and immune-mediated mechanisms
(Shil et al., 2022). Systemic disorders including renal and cardiac diseases are also associated with hematological alterations in dogs and may contribute to the development of anaemia (
Hazorika et al., 2025;
Patowary et al., 2022; Neeladevi et al., 2024). The present study also highlights the multifactorial nature of canine anaemia and shows the importance of thorough clinical and diagnostic evaluation to identify the underlying etiology.