Why is my dog's red blood cell count too high? What are the causes?

Question

What would cause my 9 1/2 year old female Miniature Pincher’s body to be producing excessive red blood cells? Pet's info: Dog | Miniature Pinscher | Female | spayed | 8 years and 6 months old | 19 lbs

Ana M, DVM · Accepted Answer

Thank you for submitting your question regarding ChaCha. Being dehydrated will make a dog's red blood cell count high. The same can happen with a condition known as hemorrhagic gastroenteritis. This is accompanied by bloody vomit and diarrhea though. These are relative increases in red blood cells. A true increase in red blood cell production is known as polycythemia vera. This can occur with a tumor on the kidney. This can cause an increase in the hormone erythropoietin which increases red blood cell production. It can also occur with congenital heart disease or cancer of the bone marrow. I hope this information helps!

Why is my dog's red blood cell count too high? What are the causes?

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