Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Low platelet counts and bone marrow issues in four dogs with immune
By Lachowicz, J L et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2004·Veterinary Oncology and Hematology Center, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Acquired amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia--four cases and a literature review.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Four dogs were diagnosed with a serious condition called acquired amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia, which means they had very low platelet counts (less than 50,000) and issues with their bone marrow. Two of these dogs had immune-related problems, while the other two had infections linked to Lyme disease and Ehrlichiosis. The dogs with infections were treated with prednisone and tetracycline, and they responded well to the treatment. Unfortunately, the other two dogs did not show any clear cause for their condition after further examination.
People also search for: dog low platelet count treatment · dog immune-mediated disease symptoms · dog Lyme disease treatment
Abstract
Acquired amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenla was diagnosed in four dogs. Initial platelet counts in all four dogs were less than 50,000 x 10(9)/litre and initial bone marrow examinations revealed megakaryocytic hypoplasia with minimal changes in the erythroid and myeloid cell lines. Two dogs had evidence of idiopathic immune-mediated disease and two dogs had evidence of associated infectious disease. One dog had a positive antibody titre to Borrella burgdorferi, and one dog had positive titres to both Ehrlichia canis and B. burgdorferi. Treatment consisted of prednisone and cyclophosphamide for the dogs with presumptive immune-mediated disease, and prednisone and tetracycline for the dogs with positive antibody titres to the Infectious organisms. Both dogs with evidence of associated infectious disease responded to treatment. A postmortem examination did not reveal the underlying aetiology in the two dogs with presumptive idiopathic immune-mediated disease.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15515801/