ภาวะซีดจากโรคไต

Key Facts

• Kidneys produce erythropoietin (EPO), the hormone that stimulates red blood cell production
• Damaged kidneys produce less EPO, leading to progressive anemia
• Weakness becomes evident when PCV drops below 20 in dogs and cats
• GI bleeding from uremia compounds the blood loss
• Treatment: injectable human erythropoietin (darbepoetin or epoetin)
• EPO injections given 3x/week initially, then reduced to 1-2x/week
• Risk: 25-30% of pets develop antibodies against human EPO, worsening anemia irreversibly
• Iron supplementation may be needed alongside EPO therapy
• PCV/hematocrit monitoring is essential
• Species: dogs and cats