My dog has anemia. Can erythropoietin cause an allergic reaction?

Hi there. So sorry to hear that Pisces is having this issue. EPO can stimulate red blood cell production and in theory it sounds like a good idea however, it has it's own side effects and some are very serious. Also EPO is outrageously expensive so it is not a very cost effective treatment. Most cats will do well with blood transfusions and treating the underlying cause of the anemia (if one can be found). I hope this answers your question. If you have additional questions you are welcome to post again. Best wishes!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Stella! We routinely don't use epinephrine in anaphylactic reactions in animals. Usually injectable benadryl and steroids are given. If the animals blood pressure is low we hospitalize for IV fluids. And they usually do great with a few hours. Stella should be taken to a Vet ASAP. Common signs of an allergic reaction are hives, facial swelling, vomiting, diarrhea and rarely collapse. Epi-pens are prescription and a vet would need to prescribe it in order for a pharmacy to give you one. From what I know they are expensive. I hope this helps and I wish Stella the best!

It is certainly a possibility, especially with as small as he is. I would continue the prednisone and doxy. Obviously I would stop any onion or garlic consumption as well. Hopefully his bone marrow is already kicked into high gear and is producing lots of new red blood cells. If this is due to onion toxicity he will recover and be able to wean off the prednisone much faster then if it is truly immune mediated. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon! Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Using EPO is definitely an option since your cat is so anemic. Over time, some cats will develop resistance but I have had good success with using EPO. Talk to your vet about the exact protocol and if he/she thinks it is an appropriate option for your cat. I am not sure of his kidney values but it definitely might be the best option to improve his anemia and increase his quality of life.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be the time for your veterinarian to check in with an internal medicine specialist as this is a bit more complex than typical. Possibilities include an immune-mediated hemolytic anemia in which case other immunosuppressive drugs can be used with prednisone or possibly an infectious disease. They would be able to recommend further but reaching out to a specialist would be an option for further tests/recommendations. Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Hello. Anemia is generally the result one of three things, 1. excessive bleeding from trauma or internally from a tumor or ulcer, 2. from the inability of bone marrow to produce more red blood cells, or 3. from an increased destruction of red blood cells usually due to an autoimmune disease. Your pet is probably being worked up to discover if any of these things may be the cause. Blood work, x-rays & an ultrasound examination of the chest & abdominal cavities may be necessary to diagnose the anemia. I hope all is well soon & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Ginger! It may be best to discuss this via consult, I have many questions: how old is GInger? Can you post images of the blood work to show how anemic she is? Can you post the X-ray images? Severe anemia can cause "passing out" episodes due to lack of oxygen delivery to the tissues. Severe anemia causes weakness and collapse. Both of these things can be why she vocalizes and stretches out (passes out or collapses from the anemia). The big question is why is she anemic. Causes of low red blood cells is either from decreased production of red blood cells from the bone marrow (from cancer or fibrosis, toxin, drugs, hormones or immune destruction), blood loss (gastric ulcers, bleeding in to the abdomen) or destruction of the red blood cells from immune destruction (from vaccines, drugs, cancer or the immune system went crazy one day. I would recommend an abdominal ultrasound and further testing for immune mediated hemolytic anemia. Make sure she doesn't have an infected uterus. Hormones from not being spayed can cause bone marrow issues. If the ultrasound is normal, her estrogen levels are normal and she doesn't have immune mediated hemolytic anemia I would recommend a bone marrow aspirate. I hope this helps and I wish Ginger the best!