Page 476 - The Veterinary Laboratory and Field Manual 3rd Edition

Common clinical problems 413

Clinical presentation Number of animals diagnosis Comments
involved and duration
Haemoglobinuria
Haemoglobinuria, Can have several Babesiosis Tick borne disease, history of
anaemia, pyrexia cases especially where exposure to ticks, can detect
competent tick vectors organism in blood smears
are common and
where the disease is
endemic
Acute haemolytic Individual animals Hypophosphotaemia Acute onset and suggestive
anaemia with, affected case history
or without,
haemoglobinuria after
parturition
Haemoglobinuria, May have an outbreak Leptospirosis Acute onset, may occur where
anaemia, pyrexia with concurrent (especially pigs are housed close by
mastitis/abortion L. pomona)
Acute haemolytic May affect the whole Kale and/or rape History of dietary changes
anaemia, herd/group poisoning
haemoglobinuria
Acute haemolytic Usually individual cases Bacillary Acute onset
anaemia with, haemoglobinuria
or without, (Clostridium novyi)
haemoglobinuria,
pyrexia
Acute haemolytic crisis, One of many animals Copper toxicity and Check case history and
haemoglobinuria, with, affected other toxins management, usually need to
or without, pyrexia treat systemic signs

If the animal is very anaemic and has a high 10.4 Hair loss and itchy skin
temperature (pyrexic) it could be a case of acute
haemolytic anaemia with secondary haemo- Irritation of the skin may result in mild or severe
globinuria. In chronic cases of haematuria (for clinical signs. Itching (pruritus) may result in
example, in enzootic haematuria) animals may hair loss, scab formation and secondary bacte-
also become severely anaemic but rarely have a rial infections as a result of self-mutilation and
high temperature; in these cases, the haematuria rubbing which disrupts normal skin resilience.
is often intermittent and the anaemia has devel- Hair loss may also occur secondary to systemic
oped slowly. While awaiting laboratory results disease, malnutrition and endocrine disorders,
it may be necessary for the veterinarian to treat but in these cases, there may be other clinical
the anaemia by using haematinics and vitamin signs and the skin is not usually pruritic. There
B complex. If there are a lot of ticks present on are a wide range of factors that may cause skin
the animal(s) a tick control programme should disease but in most situations the clinical signs
be implemented. are due to a combination of factors.
Itchy skin may be associated with the devel-
opment of raised red patches, scabs, scaling and

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