So we quickly got to work on this little guy. We collected some blood from our superhero, Blake (pictured above), and slowly began to transfuse Joker. By taking a fecal sample and looking through the microscope I found the cause of his anemia. Joker had a very heavy load of hookworms. Hookworms are an intestinal parasite that latch on to the lining of the small intestine. They thrive off of sucking blood from the dog or the cat and, if left untreated, can cause severe anemia and eventually death. To treat these hookworms, we gave Joker an oral dewormer. Hookworm anemia is not a common occurrence in household pets. Most pets are on a monthly heartworm prevention, which has an added ingredient to treat intestinal parasites. It is most likely this little puppy has grown up on the streets and never had any preventative care, thus leading to his condition.
Not to worry though, Joker is doing great! He received all the blood and we are treating him to get rid of the hookworms. He went home a few days ago and is due to return for a re-check soon!