Willow's platelets are low!

 Love light and blessings for Willow and you Lori.

You will both be in my prayers.  God Bless and Keep the Faith.

Michelle 

First, thanks for all the hugs and good wishes.  They mean so much to us.

What a day!  First, the vet did not return my call so now I've got to wait until Monday to find out what she'd like to do.

However, I took a ride over to our old vets office and picked up all the prior blood work she's had. 

This is unreal but her platelets have been low for years!  This vet is the FIRST one to tell me!

So, now I'm not sure what to do since she's been this way.  Unless of course they are significantly lower than what I've got.  But, if they are in the same range I hesitate to do anything.  She's still on the Doxycycline and has been for a week.  She does have Lyme disease so I guess that at least is getting treated.

She is feeling fine.  She's eating, she walked with me in the local cemetary.  She begged them at the bank for cookies thru the drive thru.  She's on the deck now. 

This is just very, very odd.  I've been thru a lot of weirdness with her but this one tops all!

Thanks for everything guys.  I'll know more after I tell the new vet about the old records.

PS--She's taking a big liking to baby food.  I am not buying all baby food for her, we've had this talk!! Chows!

 

In humans, and I don't know if it's the same for dogs, a low platelet count can be associated with liver disease, as can inappetance, so since she has had the low platelets for a long time, you might want to mention that to your new vet, and ask if there might be a connection.  We are also praying that it is something that can be managed easily with meds and not something serious.  But, I didn't want to NOT mention this and have you disregard an important clue.  Love you, Willow - get better soon!!!! 

Thank you, Anne.  I would definately rather have the info than not--although the more info the more frightened I become.  But, we'll get thru this. 

 

There are so many things that can cause thrombocytopenia, it's really hard to say what the cause is. It's frequently seen with just a "stress state" of any sort. Try not to be too worried about that one lab if the big picture is ok. As long as they are above 20 thousand the chance of spontaneous bleeding is low. Over 50 and it's ok. Since it was low prior to starting the doxy it's unlikely from that, but doxy can cause it as well. Just remember Occam's razor, if one thing can explain all the symptoms/signs it's probably that instead of a bunch of things together. It's most likely all secondary to the lyme and will get better with treatment ;) Just try not to get too fixated on individual lab values and look at the whole picture. IMO it's so much easier to stay positive and not kill youself with anxiety if you do this. Let the vet worry about the details, you just worry about taking great care of willow during treatment.

 Lori,

I'm so sorry to read about Willow... I just got back from a long vacation and caught up on your posts. It took me a full day to work up the nerve to respond thought since immune mediated low platelets was what I lost Snickers to. We'll be thinking about you here. Feel free to pm if you need a "virtual ear/shoulder". I'm so sorry you are dealing with this. Willow is lucky to have you... I hope you get the Lyme under control. 

Karen 

Thank you guys, very much.  Otto's mom, you are so right.  I'm getting myself very worked up--even my husband is telling me to stop, LOL.

She's continuing to do well today.  I'm going to take her to the hiking trail just to go for the ride and walk a little--nothing too strenuous.  But, she's OK so far. 

Karen, I understand, I really do.  I was thinking about you and Snickers a couple of times while dealing with this during the week. 

I guess I'll know more tomorrow after the vet and I talk. 

Thanks, again!

Lori

ottoluv

Just try not to get too fixated on individual lab values and look at the whole picture.

that's golden for you!  Dr. D told me last fall when Billy wound up with both hepatitis (bacterial) and pancreatitis at the SAME time, but was virtually asymptomatic:  "Just remember what my old professor used to say:  -- 'you treat the DOG, not the lab results'!!" 

It's one of those things you have to think on a bit for it to make sense, but it really does.   

calliecritturs

'you treat the DOG, not the lab results'!!" 

Right for sure Callie.  Which is why I'm hoping after hearing that this has been ongoing she will choose to just monitor and not want to test and give medication. 

Today while we were walking just as I'm starting to get teary thinking about all the what if's she does this major zoom and jumps at me biting me to play. 

I can't imagine what I'd be like if I had human children.

willowchow

I can't imagine what I'd be like if I had human children.

Well, part of it is that folks like you and I (who don't have human kids) haven't had the chance to GET USED TO such stuff either.  People that have two children will tell you that by the time they had the second one they just didn't panic as easily as they did with the first because you get used to some of it. 

But as one who has had MANY dogs (and who has a number of years on you *smile*) I can tell you that it does get a bit easier to deal with the emergency things in life because you not only see the terrors but you also see the 'successes' as well! 

And take a lesson from what you've found out -- low platelets just aren't abnormal for Willow! 

calliecritturs

I can tell you that it does get a bit easier to deal with the emergency things in life because you not only see the terrors but you also see the 'successes' as well! 

Yeah, she's my first dog--WOW what a challenge.  I've had just about everything one could possibly go thru with a dog or over years with several dogs with her.  EXCEPT PUPPYHOOD--I missed that!!

Crumb, I have owned dogs for 52 years and I STILL PANIC when things don't seem right.  I have lost dogs to distemper, poison, heart attack, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, bone cancer, gastric stombal (?) cancer and spinal infection..  I have had dogs with hip displaysia, enlarged heart, allergies, malform kidney, low thyroid, bad vision, luxating patella surgery on both knees, ear hematomas, ear infections, hot spots,   I have had one dog get hit in the face by a rattle snake, another got shot, another ate d-con, one have a severe reaction to her set of annual vax--but I didn't lose any of them to those things.  if i sat here and hough aout it i would probably rememberdozens of other things.

 But i still can not help but worry.!  I lost my KayCee 9 weeks ago today to cancer and on Aug 5, honey is to have a lump removed from her chest and i am worried. very worried.  Can[t help  it.  So Lori, i know how you feel.  i did have 2 human kids but it doesn't make me worryless over my dogs---and believe me, my boys had their shre of stitches, and broke bones..

There's a difference between gut panic, which is helpful, and blind panic, which helps no one.  I get that gut wrench anytime one of the dogs even looks at me funny. 

It happened to me last night - Zhi was laying all stretched out and looked distinctly uncomfortable.  We were watching TV so it was dim in the room.  I jumped up and hit the light (panicking even more because she just rolled over and looked at me instead of leaping up).  But when the light came on I saw the bulge  in her belly, and I remembered she had stolen and eaten one of Ben's pig feet after eating her entire dinner, plus snacks because I cut up meat last night (I toss bits to my adoring fans during the process).  She was laying there going, "I can't believe I ate the whole thing!"  Needless to say, she's fine this morning.

It's just the same with the kids, though believe it or not it's slightly less, because they are an age where I can tell in their talk and behavior whether it's doctor-worthy, emergency-room worthy, or kiss-it-make-it-better worthy.  With kids you learn really fast, too, and come up with a game plan to help you survive all the illnesses and bumps and bruises and minor tragedies.

I think there's an added sense with dogs that no one cares quite as much as you do, not even the vet, so there's additional responsibility even when you are standing at the vet.  With kids, when you walk into the doctor's exam room, it's understandable to feel some relief of responsibility.  We trust the human doctors to get answers no matter what and to care almost as much as we do.

No human doctor is going to say, "Well, his quality of life is just going to be so undermined by the treatment that it's not worth it.  You might want to consider letting him go quietly now."   I think, even though that's part of a vet's duty and it doesn't [really make any difference in their commitment to getting answers, that that option undermines our trust in the vet.

I REALLY hope the lump is nothing, Sandra! 

And good luck today with the vet, Lori.

brookcove

I think there's an added sense with dogs that no one cares quite as much as you do, not even the vet, so there's additional responsibility even when you are standing at the vet.

Oh, God, that is so how I feel.  I think I panic so much because I feel like her life is in MY hands and I don't/mind not know what I'm doing.  And, I don't completely trust the vet-vets-she's seen.  They tend to not be thorough enough for me, remember from one visit to the next, little stuff like that. 

I'll be posting later about what we decide.

Thank you everyone.

Sandra--Good luck with that lump!!

I just wanted to say that I printed a little picture of Willow and hung it up, so I remember to think good things for her platelets. Up Up Up, platelets!

(hugs) for Lori and Willow. I know how you feel.

ETA: I was on the phone, on hold, for something, so I looked thru my records to see what Pirate's platelet count was when he was sick (remember, last summer?) and it was 65,000. See? Hers isn't even that bad! (Just trying to make you feel better :) )