My puppy has pale gums. How to treat low hemoglobin and anemia?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A low hemoglobin is not typically fixed with a diet. This is fixed by treating the underlying cause of the iron deficiency anemia and in some cases by supplementing with iron. If she is in a balanced diet you should be good. I recommend that you talk to your veterinarian about treating her anemia. Best of luck!

The gums do look pale. Anemia in a puppy is usually caused by fleas or intestinal parasites. Please use a flea comb to remove any fleas. You can dip it in warm soapy dishwater to rinse it off and kill the fleas. I'm glad you are taking her in for an exam tomorrow. Please bring a fecal sample also so they can do a exam for parasites. If she's feeling good and playing she should be fine, I would not have her be too active, let her rest since they get tired and weak from anemia. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Kota.

Puppies usually have lower red cell values than adults since they don't have as many red blood cells yet. But 16% is a little low for a puppy. Has your vet tested for intestinal parasites? Hookworms (and fleas and ticks) can remove a surprising amount of blood from a small puppy. Another cause of anemia with normal white blood cell values are blood diseases such as tick-borne disease. If a puppy is able to eat a good-quality puppy food and the cause of the anemia is treated, they will be able to replace the lost blood cells over time.

White gums are very concerning for anemia. It would be unusual for a 2 year old dog to have a bleeding ulcer, but it is possible. More commonly would be a tick born infection like ehrlichia, or even babesia . Sometimes the immune system can attack the red blood cells as well. Changing his diet won’t help the anemia without finding out the cause and treating that at the same time. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. This could absolutely be due to anemia given her pale mucous membranes. I recommend that you have Snow evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a good night! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

It's difficult to say what is going on based on your description, but if you are seeing very pale gums and lethargy, then this is an emergency. Clarity needs to go to the veterinarian immediately for treatment.

Unless there is massive blood loss in the diarrhea, resulting in the presence of frank blood or digested blood (the stool looks black in these cases), diarrhea cannot cause anemia. I'm glad to hear that Jack is still acting normally despite his diarrhea and slightly lighter pink gums. Gum color can change for a wide variety of reasons, including those associated with blood loss and low blood pressure. A bland diet of boiled white meat chicken and white rice sounds like a great idea for Jack. If his diarrhea continues or worsens, or if he becomes lethargic, vomits, refuses to eat or drink, or has any breathing changes, I recommend taking him to the vet for further evaluation. I hope he's feeling better soon!