This can arise from acute or chronic blood loss, by increased erythrocyte destruction or by impaired erythrocyte production.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of clinical anaemia should be made in the field. The diagnosis of the cause requires the submission of the appropriate range of specimens.

Many conditions, including haemonchosis, fascioliasis and enzootic haematuria are best diagnosed in the field. The following disease conditions should be considered.

• parasitism, including fascioliasis and other helminthiases.
• enzootic haematura in cattle.
• babesiosis, anaplasmosis and eperythrozoonosis.
• plant poisonings, including bracken fern, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, rape.
• copper and cobalt deficiency in ruminants.
• iron deficiency anaemia in piglets.
• coccidiosis, sarcosporidiosis.

Specimens required

Depending on clinical and post mortem findings, appropriate tissues should be sent. These should include:

1. liver, kidney, spleen, skeletal and cardiac muscle and red bone marrow from the femur in buffered formalin.
2. blood films for haematology.
3. at least 5 ml EDTA blood for haematology.
4. faeces for parasitology.
5. serum chilled for copper, etc.