Anemia is a blood condition that many dogs can develop for a long list of reasons. This condition can vary in severity. Mild cases are easy to resolve, while cases that are more severe can pose a serious threat to your animal. One of the keys to managing a dog's anemia is promptly getting the pet to your local animal clinic if you suspect that something is wrong. Your vet will determine the severity of the anemia and then do their best to treat it quickly. There are lots of signs that your dog could be dealing with anemia, including these things that you should be noticing.

Pale Gums

An easy way to tell if your dog could be suffering from anemia is a visible change in the appearance of its gums. In a normal dog, the gums are typically a dark pink color. In a dog with anemia, the gums will become pale. They could be very light pink, but it's also possible that they have somewhat of a gray appearance. You might not see your dog's gums every day, but it's useful to try to check their condition from time to time. Doing so could be an early warning sign of a health condition such as anemia.

Unexplained Weight Loss

It can be a concern if your dog is losing weight, especially if you aren't able to identify a likely cause for this change. For example, if you switched your dog to a lower-calorie food, weight loss would be customary. However, if no such food changes have occurred, you should be a little worried if your dog is losing weight. This can especially be true if you've tried to increase its food servings but weight loss is still occurring. Unexplained weight loss can be an indicator of all sorts of health issues, including anemia.

Lethargy

Lethargy can also be a warning sign of anemia. There are several different ways that you may be able to tell that your dog is lethargic. For example, when you're walking it around your neighborhood, it might struggle to keep up with your usual pace. When you take it to a local dog park, it might simply sit down or lie down. It may also appear to be disinterested in playing with your children. If each of these examples is abnormal, there's a good chance that something could be wrong — including anemia. Contact an animal clinic to share the changes in your pet that you've noticed.