Immune mediated thrombocytopenia
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| Where do you live? I personally know nothing about this condition but there is a speciality center in Westchester County in New York that has a very good reputation dealing with cancers and other less common diseases. I will look up their contact info and if nothing else maybe a call to them can refer you to someone in your area with this speciality. Sorry you are gonf throught this and sending our prayers for all to improve. |
| Sorry about your baby my first OES was diagnosed with this. Her platlet count at first draw was also 1. As I am sure you have been told be very careful to try to keep her from any accidents. They can bruise so easy with such a low count. How old is your baby? Let me think on it and look up some things so, I can try to remember what all we were doing outside of the pred. Agood person to contact on this forum is Kristine (Mad Dog) She is on the OESCA Health and Research Committee and can point you in the right direction. Good Luck  |
| I'm so sorry abuot Tinkerbell. ITP is very scary. (Kathy, beyond that, you have first hand experience and based on that alone no doubt know more than I do, but thanks for the vote of confidence) What we do know is that OES as a breed are susceptible to a number of immune mediated conditions. The HRC (OESCA Health & Research Committee) has chosen to focus, for now, on research into Immune-mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA) and the OESCA board approved funding for the breed to join two in progress studies just within the last few months. None of which does you any good.  Apologies for the Health website which is currently being redesigned, but there is a link to autoimmune diseases off the menu: http://www.oeshealth.org It includes some information on ITP, though probably you already know all of this. I know I would be living on the web looking for information in your place. The good news, and this at least I knew and your vet has probably already told you, is that the prognosis for ITP is pretty favorable, especially as compared to IMHA. I'll be at a specialty (OES dog show) tomorrow with several other HRC members, as well as my vet who happens to be an OES breeder. What beyond the response rate to the steriods would you like me to ask them about? Kristine |
| My vets were pretty stumped on this as they had not dealt with it much before Mandy Mandy had bladder cancer and secondary both ITP and IMHA. Mandy was much older than Tinkerbell so, don't be discouraged... Is there an underlying cause? If you have any specific questions, please ask! If I can help another dog/owner through this I would be happy to. Hugs to you and Tinkerbell! |
| Hello everyone, and thank you for your time & advice. I am in the uk, and the more i read the more i find out that this is treated so differently around the world! Tinkerbell is 5 and the only other medical issue she has is an underactive thyroid, so im thinking she has primary imt. She is just so tired, and im checking her everytime she moves for bleeding, and the panting is scary for me, although i know its normal its just not nice to hear. I think she is getting weaker, it seems hard work for her to have a wee, bless her. hhmmm questions i have thousands, but i would like to know if it is the imt making her so weak or is it the steroids? i have also read that the steriods side effect is loss of muscle? As i said before her platelet cound went from 1 to 4 now at 38, after 6 days on meds, i was expecting a higher jump and the vet didnt indicate whether it was as she was expecting. Any more info would be great, im just filling my time with taking in as much information as possible Thank you all for your good wish for tinkerbell, will try in a bit to get some photos of her on her |
| it's the steroids making her lethargic. they can do that to young energetic dogs. |
| Is she eating and drinking okay? Any vomiting or diarrhea? What other meds is she on besides the pred? |
Donner's Mom wrote: Is she eating and drinking okay? Any vomiting or diarrhea? What other meds is she on besides the pred? She is drinking more than normal, she has gone off her food (but to be fair that isnt abnormal, she is a funny eater) she will eat if i give her something on my hand. Only vomitted once which was a big bleed, no diarrhea, it was black a few days ago but is ok now. she has had 2 nose bleeds this week. The only other meds are soloxine for her thyroid. Today she has a runny nose, other than that she just sleeps and pants heavy  |
| Well, as you know the pred will make her drink a lot. We found out that rabbit or venison works really well for a poor appetite. I wonder if she is not nauseous and not wanting to eat? You may want to ask your vet if you can give her an anti naseau medication?? (just a suggestion) If she is panting she may be in some pain... Adding something for pain may help? A lot of the pain meds you can not give with prednisone and I am not familiar with what medications are commonly used in your area. Does your vet have any further suggestions? |
| The vet told me she would pant because of the pred, she doesnt seem to be in pain. I will def try her with rabbit, she needs her strenght and is losing weight. I have been told not to give her cooked meat!? she has always had funny ways with her food....she will only eat when we are all in the room sitting to the table eating, she takes a mouthful of food from her bowl and places it on her bed and delicatly eats one biscuit at a time BUT .....if one of us look at her, she stops eating and looks at us as if to say "do you mind i was eating" lol she wont carry on until we have looked away lol i have also just read about muscle wasting away while on pred? are there any more horrible side effects? as for my vet i feel the need to be armed with information rather than ask for it as i have a trust issue with the practise |
| We have no experience with thrombocytopenia, but want to wish Tinkerbell the best. Personally, I would be feeding Tinkerbell whatever she will eat, people food included, unless it causes her stomach difficulties, in order to keep her strength up. If she stops eating altogether, she might start to have other health issues caused by malnutrition, and complicate her already difficult situation. I would ask the vet about the food restrictions and get medical reasons for them. (Maybe they're afraid that it will upset her tummy and cause her to vomit, leading to gastric bleeding.) Would the vet rather have her go without food than eat cooked meat? If so, medically speaking, why? I would get clear medical answers about the food. Laurie and Oscar |
| The pred will make her drink & pee alot more. It will make her pant. It will ease any pain she might have. It should make her eat more. |
| Are her lymph nodes swollen? |
Oscar's Mom wrote: We have no experience with thrombocytopenia, but want to wish Tinkerbell the best. Personally, I would be feeding Tinkerbell whatever she will eat, people food included, unless it causes her stomach difficulties, in order to keep her strength up. If she stops eating altogether, she might start to have other health issues caused by malnutrition, and complicate her already difficult situation. I would ask the vet about the food restrictions and get medical reasons for them. (Maybe they're afraid that it will upset her tummy and cause her to vomit, leading to gastric bleeding.) Would the vet rather have her go without food than eat cooked meat? If so, medically speaking, why? I would get clear medical answers about the food. Laurie and Oscar Thank you for your best wishes. Sorry i wasnt clear, i was told by a breeder not to give her cooked meat. I have been putting uncooked beef mince on top of her food, but she still isnt that interested. she does get an upset tummy very easily normally. today she has been sick so nothing for her for today as i need her to keep her tablets down now. I know they are helping her long term but i feel so mean giving them to her and then watching her get so poorly |
ChSheepdogs wrote: The pred will make her drink & pee alot more. It will make her pant. It will ease any pain she might have. It should make her eat more. Thank you for responding Unfortunatley they arnt making her eat more, maybe they will soon, i hope so as she is losing weight |
Donner's Mom wrote: Are her lymph nodes swollen? Hi, I dont think so but i will ask my vet to check on wednesday |
| I would give her a plain dog cookie or something with her meds. Prednilisone is very hard on the stomach and esophagus - can cause ulcers long term. Not intended to worry you, but to inform you. |
| Hi, I'm sorry you and Tinkerbell are dealing with this. My previous girl, Shaggy was diagnosed at age 8 and was on the traditional meds until it came time to question the quality of her life and I made a decision which turned out to be the best thing for her. The prednisone made her bloated, drink constantly and thus had to urinate frequently. The groomer had also made her jump down from a table after I had given instructions for her to be lifted off...she also had a sprained leg. For months I carried her up and down the stairs ...but she became depressed, a sad bloated mass and it's when I questioned her quality of life. I went to the library to read up on holistic ways to boost her immune system. PLEASE NOTE AT THIS POINT THERE WAS NO OTHER OPTION SO WHAT I'M ABOUT TO RECOMMEND WAS KNOWING MY DOG AND BEING ABLE TO READ HER STATE OF MIND. I took her off all the traditional meds and from what I had read at the library started her on a diet very high in natural immune boosters and a diet- one similar in which a cancer patient would take - along with 3 vitamins that were immune boosters. I made her a daily broth of chicken (would cook backs/legs or breast) pick the meat off the bones, using the same juice I would add a sweet potato/carrots and dark green leafy type veggies...small pieces of broccoli/spinach/ for example. Orange veggies are very high in vit C and are immune boosters. I gave her raw carrots for snacks. I read that there is some truth in mom's home made chicken noodle soup...the veggies and vitamins were to boost her immune system. I took her back to the vet for a recheck. The vet was floored and said whatever you are doing...keep doing it! Her blood count rose from 10 to 200! A dogs regular count if I remember correctly is 185. Shaggy remained on that diet for the duration of her life and I also gave it to my other dog, Blue. Shaggy lived to age 15 1/2, Blue passed at 19. Rarely,did she have to take any antibiotics but I was still open to using traditional meds if they were needed. Blue, my other dog once gave her a emergency blood transfusion early in her diagnosis. Dogs unlike people don't have to be matched for blood types but if you have a donor available for emergencies that helps too. I also read that organ meats were good immune boosters too so sometimes would give her these in a broth but used sparingly as they can also store toxins in the body. I overcame my aversion to cooking liver/heart/kidneys for her. She had snacks of watermelon/cantalope/blueberries/apples and now years later I see perhaps I was on the right track as many dog foods now contain these products and sweet potato is also being added to foods. I am nowhere near an expert on holistic healing but I saw first hand that it did make a difference. It can't hurt to visit a holistic vet and perhaps they will have suggestions that can assist your girl. Please keep us updated. My four boys are sending her sloppy kisses and well wishes. Marianne & Merlin,Panda, Snoop and Gilligan |
oops just wanted to confirm that was me on the last post but had forgotten to log in. |
| Marianne has some great advice.. I would certainly ask the vet about anti naseua medications.. They simply will not eat if they feel sick... Good Luck to you and Tinkerbell |
Marianne wrote: oops just wanted to confirm that was me on the last post but had forgotten to log in. Wow Thank you for that advice, i would never have thought to change her diet to "human food". I just hope i get the change to maybe help her recovery. Tinkerbell was taken by ambulance to hospital this morning. I came down stairs this morning and rattled her tables to which she would normally be by my feet for her little bit of meat, but she didnt even raise her head, after alot of calling she slowly walked over to me sniffed her meat (full of pills) and walked away, that in itself worried me alot, she laid down and closed her eyes. I thought maybe her lead would perk her up to have a walk round the garden, no luck! i stood down the hall to see if she would lift her head, she tried to walk to me and collasped, her breathing went from heavy pant to very light breaths. she couldnt lift her head and kept her eyes shut, i called the vet the ambulance was here in less than 5 mins. So so sad to see her in this state She will be staying in hospital for a while. All i know at this stage is her platelets have risen to 185, which is fantastic! but her red blood cells are falling and i cant remember what they are at. While she has been in hospital she has had another bleed, this time from her bottom end! i dont understand why she is bleeding and her platelets have risen! I have a very bad feeling, and im thinking the imt is secondary to something much bigger Basicaly the vet said she has to eat because if they have to put a drip in, it was make her red bllod cells fall.I feel terrible but not as terrible as tinkerbell im sure, to see her laying in there is totally heart breaking i hope i get the chance to try to boost her immune system, it sounds so much better than tablets that make her so poorly, thank you for sending your advice, it means alot |
| Claire, I'm so sorry How scary I spoke with my vet this weekend. Her experience with ITP is that it's very hard to predict the outcome, often dicey to treat, and that there is no set pattern of response to the steroids or anything else: it's case by case, day by day, and you just do your best. I've spoken to one person who had good luck with treatment and no recurrence, and heard from another whose dog was not so lucky. Prayers for a good outcome for your girl. Kristine |
| Thinking of you Claire and Tinkerbell |
| How terrible for you both. Prayers for Tinkerbell. I hope things are getting better.  |
| Hi Claire, My heart aches reading your post and I remember all too well that feeling of helplessness I felt with Shaggy. I know you are doing the best you can for Tinkerbell and your love for her is so obvious. I wish I could reach across the ocean and give you a hug. I will keep you and Tinkerbell in my thoughts. Feel free to contact me any time if you have questions although my memory of some things are a bit fuzzy as Shaggy passed in 2003 and was first diagnosed in 1996. Like yourself, I first searched for advice and comfort from this website which I discovered one night when Shaggy had a particularly bad night and I was sure I was going to lose her. I immediately felt better as I found people who understood my pain and my love for my girl. Shaggy rallied back that night and lived for another few months and I found life long friends through this site. As a result, I then found Merlin and Panda and most recently Gilligan was given a second chance at life because of this forum. We're all here for you in good times and bad - please remember that. Marianne |
Marianne wrote: Hi Claire, My heart aches reading your post and I remember all too well that feeling of helplessness I felt with Shaggy. I know you are doing the best you can for Tinkerbell and your love for her is so obvious. I wish I could reach across the ocean and give you a hug. I will keep you and Tinkerbell in my thoughts. Feel free to contact me any time if you have questions although my memory of some things are a bit fuzzy as Shaggy passed in 2003 and was first diagnosed in 1996. Like yourself, I first searched for advice and comfort from this website which I discovered one night when Shaggy had a particularly bad night and I was sure I was going to lose her. I immediately felt better as I found people who understood my pain and my love for my girl. Shaggy rallied back that night and lived for another few months and I found life long friends through this site. As a result, I then found Merlin and Panda and most recently Gilligan was given a second chance at life because of this forum. We're all here for you in good times and bad - please remember that. Marianne Thank you Marianne Your kind words mean alot at this difficult time I went to see her last night, she wasnt really with it, but she did stand up and held her head up to see me! she had a drink while i was there - the nurse said she hadnt had a drink all day - but she polished off the bowl for me. kind of Good news though because the bleed was from an ulcer caused by the steroids (horrible things!) as her platelets have now risen, we can start reducing the dose. But of course now we have tablets to protect the lining of her stomach. The Vet is sure this is a primary disease and she doesnt think there is an underlying problem, which is very good news, as i was convinced yesterday there was something we were unaware off. I will try again to put some photos on here, but it seems mine are all too big lol Thanky you everyone for your kind words and thoughts |
| How is your girl doing?? We continue to keep her in our thoughts... I am so happy her counts are coming up! |
| Lisa and Frankie |
| Thinking of Tinkerbell and you. |
| Thinking of both you and Tinkerbell--special thoughts and prayers. |
| Thank you everyone for your thoughts and hugs, they seem to be working!! Tinkerbell is out of hospital, she is still bleeding alittle but is undercontrol. The best news right now is her steroids being massively reduced! I was worried about her red cells falling but that is because of the bleed i think. She is still very weak, and is sleeping all the time, but her eyes are bright and she mustered a single bark earlier which was fantastic to hear, she has lost lots of weight. So as soon as her stomach has healed she should be on the road to recovery, although i know that road is a long one. She scared the life out of me that morning, she must have been in so much pain Thanks again everyone, your support is overwhelming, i will keep you updated |
Marianne wrote: Hi Claire, My heart aches reading your post and I remember all too well that feeling of helplessness I felt with Shaggy. I know you are doing the best you can for Tinkerbell and your love for her is so obvious. I wish I could reach across the ocean and give you a hug. I will keep you and Tinkerbell in my thoughts. Feel free to contact me any time if you have questions although my memory of some things are a bit fuzzy as Shaggy passed in 2003 and was first diagnosed in 1996. Like yourself, I first searched for advice and comfort from this website which I discovered one night when Shaggy had a particularly bad night and I was sure I was going to lose her. I immediately felt better as I found people who understood my pain and my love for my girl. Shaggy rallied back that night and lived for another few months and I found life long friends through this site. As a result, I then found Merlin and Panda and most recently Gilligan was given a second chance at life because of this forum. We're all here for you in good times and bad - please remember that. Marianne Hi Marianne You have 4 oes! wow lol i thought i had my work cut out with 1. Bath time must be fun at your house  Now im alittle calmer i re read your posts, and i think your diet sounds perfect, i will def be trying it. Think the proof is in you having a 19 year!! iv never heard of a 19 year old. Brave decision taking stoping the meds but wow did it pay off. The steroids are so harsh. So now for my question first being how much should i feed her, in weight? she has lost so much weight that added with a poor appetite, im just not sure how much to give her, or would you just recommened trail and error? dont get me wrong im not stopping her meds, she should be off them in weeks now, just think giving her the diet your talking about would be great for her as she doesnt seem to enjoy "dog food", that does very quickly change when i put chicken on her food, but then i was told not to give her cooked meat. That advice clearly isnt great! Thank you again for taking the time to contact me  |
 I am so happy that Tinkerbell is on the mend!! |
Donner's Mom wrote: I am so happy that Tinkerbell is on the mend!! Me too |
| Best wishes for a speedy recovery Tinkerbell! Whenever Oscar has been off food for 48 - 72 hours (due to pancreatitis), my vet has us start slowly, and feed small meals frequently throughout the day. This gives the tummy a chance to restart, and keeps the bowels moving, without overloading the digestive system. My vet also has us start with the canned food version of his kibble, and it seems to be easier for Oscar to digest. (He did so well on the canned food that we never transitioned back to kibble. He only gets kibble now as a treat.) If you are going to give Tinkerbell people food, I would cook the leanest cut (breast of chicken only, no skin, or ground sirloin) of meat, and in the case of ground beef, I would rinse it first to get rid of any excess fat. Laurie and Oscar |
Oscar's Mom wrote: Best wishes for a speedy recovery Tinkerbell! Whenever Oscar has been off food for 48 - 72 hours (due to pancreatitis), my vet has us start slowly, and feed small meals frequently throughout the day. This gives the tummy a chance to restart, and keeps the bowels moving, without overloading the digestive system. My vet also has us start with the canned food version of his kibble, and it seems to be easier for Oscar to digest. (He did so well on the canned food that we never transitioned back to kibble. He only gets kibble now as a treat.) If you are going to give Tinkerbell people food, I would cook the leanest cut (breast of chicken only, no skin, or ground sirloin) of meat, and in the case of ground beef, I would rinse it first to get rid of any excess fat. Laurie and Oscar Hi laurie and Oscar I have been giving her a couple of spoon fulls every couple of hours, and the canned food the vet recommends she loves! iv never seen her eat as soon as the food is put in front of her, bless her. But it is soooooo expensive  , im searching the net to see if i can get it cheaper before i start cooking for her. Thank you for your advice. Do you also feed Oscar people food? |
sixpence wrote: Donner's Mom wrote: I am so happy that Tinkerbell is on the mend!! Me too Thank you!! |
| Due to Oscar's autoimmune issues (Inflammatory Bowel Disease), he gets very little people food. He can't have beef, chicken, lamb, soy, dairy, wheat, or corn, which is rather limiting! Plus, we discovered he cannot digest complex carbs like raw veggies, which is actually fairly common in canines. (Sigh). He seems to tolerate small amounts of watermelon and banana, without a tummy upset, but that's about it. Due to his intolerances, we had to look for a dog food without any of the above. After a gazillion food switches, we settled on Venison and Rice (Nature's Recipe). I know that there are much better quality foods out there, and believe me, we've tried them all, to no avail. Oscar does best on Venison and Rice. Laurie and Oscar |
| When my last OES was ill and he lost his appetite we used to e feed him small amounts of http://www.naturediet.co.uk/ or http://naturesmenu.co.uk/ to get his system working again . |
| Tinkerbell sadly passed away this morning. She was only 5 and had such a tough couple of weeks, tottally devastated, i thought she was on the mend. Im going to see the vet later. I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who helped, advised and took the time to talk to me, it really help me. At least tinkerbell is not in any pain any more. |
| Oh no, I'm so, so sorry. I've been coming to check on Tinkerbell. When I saw you'd posted I sooo hoped it was more improvement. You must be shattered. Words cant express how sorry I am, I didnt know Tinkerbell but she sounded like such a special girl. No words, I'm sorry. |
| Claire, I am so sorry. Like Mim I've been checking in for updates on your girl and with the recent ones I too was so hopeful for improvement and shocked to read your sad news. As you say she is at peace now. But it is so especially devastating to lose a young girl like that. Godspeed Tinkerbell. Claire, you're in my thoughts. Kristine |
| Claire, I'm so sad to read your update this morning I know you and Tinkerbell were doing everything you could to fight this. A big hug and I hope you can soon be remembering pleasant and fun memories of Tinkerbell instead of the pain of this illness and loss. |
| I'm so sorry Claire |
| I am so sorry Claire I was thinking of you two and really thought she was going to come through. I know you are devastated. God Speed Baby Tinkerbell |
| My heart just dropped when I read this. We always feel that we do not get enough time with our beloved sheepdogs, but five years old is much too soon. We lost our first OES, Quincy, a month after his fifth birthday. Our hearts are with you. Laurie and Oscar |
| We also lost our boy Quin at the age of 5... it is just not enough time |
| Very very sorry for your loss Lisa and Frankie |
| I too have been following this thread faithfully and have been rooting for Tinkerbell all along....my stomach dropped when I just read this, I am so sorry for your loss---I know you did everything you possibly could for her--God Bless |
| Thank you all xx This morning, i called the ambulance to her which was here in minutes, 15 mins later i got the call from the vet. The night before she ate her dinner and made lots of mess, i mixed wet meat into her dry food, and in true tinkerbell style she picked each kibble up sucked off the meat and spat out the kibble lol what a mess! but was great to see her appetite. Cant beleive she has gone, its 3.40am, i cant sleep, the silence in the house is over whelming, she was my shadow, always next to me or pushing me out of the way lol sweet dreams bell bell xxxxx i will, tomorrow get some photos on here |
| I am so very sorry. I also know the pain of losing one so young. My thoughts are with you. |
| I am so sorry to hear about your Tinkerbell. I, too, have been checking back on this thread and was hoping for better news. It's so hard to lose them so young and I know your heart is breaking. My thoughts and prayers are with you. |
| I'm so sorry to hear about Tinkerbell. My heart goes out to you. |
| I'm so sorry for your loss. |
| So sorry to hear of your loss, so sad and bless your baby. |
| I am so sorry for your loss. It shows what a personality she had that, even when she was unwell, she still showed her spirit by eating only the fancier food and leaving the kibble behind. |
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