Thrombocytopenia is a low platelet count in the blood; a potentially life-threatening blood disorder. Learn what platelets are and some of the common reasons this condition can occur in animals.
Today's glossary entry has special meaning for me, as I will be fostering a Greyhound I met at a recent "Greyhound haul" I helped with. He is a two-year old Greyhound who was discovered to be thrombocytopenic on his pre-neuter bloodwork. His surgery and dental cleaning were postponed so the thrombocytopenia can be addressed and treated. In this case, a 4-week course of doxycycline to treat for potential Ehrlichia and/or Babesia infection.
The plan is to get him back to health while fostering so he can be on his way to his forever home. His bloodwork will be retested in 3-4 weeks to make sure he is healthy. If all goes as planned, I will be blogging about him later this week.
- 3/13/10 update: Hammer our new Greyhound foster dog
Interesting sidenote: Greyhounds typically have lower platelet counts than other breeds of dogs, but normal for Greyhounds. They are also prone to diseases that may cause thrombocytopenia, two of which are tick-transmitted: Ehrlichia and Babesia.
Photo: Argos, my adopted rescue Greyhound © Janet Tobiassen Crosby DVM
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