Kali has developed reddish purple spots all over her body. The 2-year-old Maltese appears fine in other respects, according to the lap dog’s owner.
This sounds like petechia. These small reddish to purple spots actually represent areas of bleeding under and within the skin. This is a potentially serious indication of disease. I may be wrong and it may be a pustular reaction in the skin — such as pimples — or the result of an infection or an allergic response. Due to the potentially fatal nature of autoimmune hemolytic anemia, or AIHA, it’s best to err on the side of caution and get Kali to her veterinarian right away.
AIHA is characterized by the excess destruction of red blood cells by the patient’s immune system. Animals do not do well without adequate numbers of red blood cells, as they are the cells responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body. Without timely and judicious therapy, these patients can die.
Physical examination will verify the petechial hemorrhages and, almost always, these patients will have jaundice as well. Jaundice is caused by the rapid destruction of red blood cells, resulting in the release of excess bilirubin in the bloodstream. The liver normally processes bilirubin, which results from the normal death cycle of old red blood cells, however the liver becomes overwhelmed with AIHA. This results in jaundice.
