could this be his last birthday

[meatboy]

today is our beloved's birthday,4yrs old but could this be his last.

after trying to read some of the posting of HEIJOSHINCOOL'S story,last monday we got news of our beloved has

a low blood count of his red cells.having never experianced this condition i had to look it up on the net.what i read is eating me up inside and i am not copeing very well.as he is with us or should i say we with him,anything he does we take notice,

it was a week last thursday when the wife was about to take him out for his evening walk,when as he got up he seemed to go all wobbly and sat back down not knowing what was happening to him.

after about 5mins.he seemed allright and wanted to go out,so the wife went out with him and i observed his behavior.

all seemed well with him but i could see he wasnt himself,as soon as we got back home we phoned our vet.

he told us to watch him and report to him in the morning [fri] we took him to the surgery and he gave him a full check up as i thought maybe something had bitten him or he might have pulled a muscle,he also done a full blood check.

well monday the vet phoned and asked for the wife who was out,so he rang her on her mobile,then i started to worry why did he not want to talk with me as he speaks good english.then the wife tells me the result of the blood count saying the vet has caught it[ parasite] infection early and he has to go on a course of medication[10tabs a day] for a week.

she has to go back on sat.for another lot and then at the end he has to have another blood test,so we have another agoniseing wait to see if its stable or not.

the boy is well in himself,eating well,sleeping,nothing different in his behavior only he is drinking a lot of water.

the wife told him last night about this and he thinks it the tablets. me i am not so sure as he knows how much i love him and he maybe doesnt want me to worry,although the wife asked him to tell he the truth about what could happen.

me and the wife have 2 milestones coming up in the next couple of weeks with family and freinds coming as far as from the uk.to celebrate,so i have never been a church goer but i am praying we can celebrate at home and not have to go to the temple.

if there's anybody that knows anything about this condition[LOW RED CELLS BLOOD COUNT] PLEASE TELL ME STRAIGHT.

meatboy.

[ThaiLife]

Hi

My dog had similar symptoms and her red cell blood count was considered low , on checking the dog out the vet found a small lump in the dogs neck area , which turned out to be lymphoma . So hopefully your vet checked for any lumps all over the dog , our vet did say that she gets a lot of dogs in with the same symptoms as your dog , which were due to a '' Tic '' biting them , causing an infection which is treated with medication . We had regular blood work reports done to watch what was going on with the treatment of our dog , so the next blood work you get done should show if the medication is working .

TL

[HeijoshinCool]

Don't hesitate to get a second opinion right away. I wouldn't wait for the course of meds to finish.

Did the vet not name the parasite? What's the name of the meds?

Contact Kasetsart University Veterinary School. I've talked to the docs there on the phone; they are friendly, speak great English, and are willing to help. I've been to a dozen vets in LOS and they are one of only two I felt worth consulting. The other is in Rayong.

http://vet.ku.ac.th/vetenglish/index.php/others/contact-us

Keep us posted what happens. Good luck.

[Nienke]

If in doubt go either back to your vet (or call back) or ask a second opinion.

However, from what you wrote Meatboy, my first thought is Anaplasmosis (is one of the very common tick diseases next to E.canis) It usually causes a drop in the red blood cells (=anemia) and platelets.
Too low hemoglobin in the blood (= red blood cells) can cause tiredness, dizziness, and even seizure-like stumbling almost as if the dog is drunk.
Usual treatment is doxycycline (antibiotic) and I suspect that the 10 pills (small white or pink flat round pills?) are cortico-steroid (prednisolone). The first is given to kill the parasite, the latter to boost the bone marrow to make red blood cells and platelets.
(this is how the vet explained it to me).
With extreme low RBC and/or platelets a vet may even decide to give anabolic steroid, followed by cortico-steroid.

Very common side-effects of cortico-steroids is increased water intake and with that increased urination often with nightly accidents (so be prepared for that), and increased appetite.


If the disease is caught in the early stages the dog's blood count will recover within a week, sometimes 2 weeks. Treatment, however, is often recommended for 6 to 8 weeks, where the cortico-steroids is slowly tapered of.

[isanbirder]

Erlichiosis is another common blood parasite which causes a low red blood cell count. I had four dogs go down with it. All recovered fully after a course of pills (one lot were antibiotics, and the other were something to boost the red blood cell count.... sorry, I don't know the names).

[meatboy]

a BIG THANK FOR easing the pain although i wont rest until i know the outcome.

the tabs are 1x pink about the size of an m.m. twice a day.

2x white small round, twice a day.

2x yellow the same size as the pink one,twice a day.

the wife has read the posts and she realizes what you are saying.

as for our vet i have full confidence in him,having obtained his degree in america.

strugling to come to terms this morning on his walk,first the wifes freind who was waiting to greet him with a hug and kisses asked how old he was,have you ever tried taling with a golf ball stuck in your throat,and one of my mates greeted him the same only for him to look me in the eye's,well i couldnt hold it back so i had to tell him.

so guys a BIG BIG THANK YOU, FROM MRS.MEAT AND MYSELF.

[Mobi]

Hi meatboy, I feel for you.

I hope everything works out well and please keep us updated.

Mobi

[meatboy]

Hi meatboy, I feel for you.

I hope everything works out well and please keep us updated.

Mobi

thanks mobi,i did feel a bit better after the replies i got yesterday.

as me and you read out of the same hymn book how is your health after you surgery?

as for me i would swop everything if it helped my beloved.

[fredge45]

The big hearted loved one pictured as my avatar had exactly the same thing... within a week he was back to being himself after starting the treatment! Yes, we kept him on the meds for the complete course and he's just doing great now.

Have faith!

[meatboy]

The big hearted loved one pictured as my avatar had exactly the same thing... within a week he was back to being himself after starting the treatment! Yes, we kept him on the meds for the complete course and he's just doing great now.

Have faith!

thanks fredge at the moment he is very well,since being on meds.he is like his dad,eating well and drinking plenty[water] not cider.

starts the second course this evening.

taffy. thai visa members have been very very helpfull.

Edited January 31, 2015 by meatboy

[xylophone]

The big hearted loved one pictured as my avatar had exactly the same thing... within a week he was back to being himself after starting the treatment! Yes, we kept him on the meds for the complete course and he's just doing great now.

Have faith!

thanks fredge at the moment he is very well,since being on meds.he is like his dad,eating well and drinking plenty[water] not cider.

starts the second course this evening.

taffy. thai visa members have been very very helpfull.

Good to hear that your friend is improving and may he soon be back to full health.

A friend who has had several dogs and continually fights "tick" bites has said that there is a chemical which can be applied to dogs and is also present on a special dog collar.

Also he does a daily inspection on the dog and applies a liquid to any ticks he finds, which kills them.

[fredge45]

The big hearted loved one pictured as my avatar had exactly the same thing... within a week he was back to being himself after starting the treatment! Yes, we kept him on the meds for the complete course and he's just doing great now.

Have faith!

thanks fredge at the moment he is very well,since being on meds.he is like his dad,eating well and drinking plenty[water] not cider.

starts the second course this evening.

taffy. thai visa members have been very very helpfull.

Good to hear that your friend is improving and may he soon be back to full health.

A friend who has had several dogs and continually fights "tick" bites has said that there is a chemical which can be applied to dogs and is also present on a special dog collar.

Also he does a daily inspection on the dog and applies a liquid to any ticks he finds, which kills them.

Our three have 5 rai of their 'own' to roam... they will pick up ticks if we don't give them the liquid drops to be absorbed through their skin every 3 months or so. I say "or so" as we watch for any ticks hitching a ride and meal... when we start seeing them then we give the dogs the treatment.

There are also tablets which will clear a tick infestation that take a week or so to really be effective. We give those to the soi dogs we see with a tick infestation. Give by crushing the tablets and adding to some nice food.

[Lite Beer]

Tried Tick Collars, Frontline, De Tick, Injections, Powders, Sprays, Shampoos and never really get rid of the bloody things.

All we seem to do is keep on top of them.

If caught early a course of Anti Biotics, our golden also had Iron pills, Cures the blood infection problem.

She quite enjoyed it as she got a lot of bonus fish balls to eat. Hide the pills in the ball.

[bina]

sometimes blood transfusions are given as well... sound like some kind of tick fever to me also....

the best defense against ticks so far here in our mountain is ultra shield spray or seresta tick collar... nothing else works anymore... not sure if those are availabel in thailand but if someone can bring u, they are the best. ultra shield is not for households that have cats that lick dogs, not to be sprayed near cats. the seresta collars are great as well, but here are super expensive.

and any of the drops should be used every four weeks against ticks, every two or three months for fleas... we also use seresta collars with frontline plus for flea protection... we are rural and every household has about three dogs and we have feral cats.

in israel dog blood banks have been started, maybe someone could start in thailand if there isnt one (only large healthy dogs can be used to give blood, i paid 600 shekels for one pack of blood once for my bitch, it was sent by taxi from a city two hours away from us, donated by a great dane...) as tick fevers cause anemia which often needs the transfusions

[meatboy]

Tried Tick Collars, Frontline, De Tick, Injections, Powders, Sprays, Shampoos and never really get rid of the bloody things.

All we seem to do is keep on top of them.

If caught early a course of Anti Biotics, our golden also had Iron pills, Cures the blood infection problem.

She quite enjoyed it as she got a lot of bonus fish balls to eat. Hide the pills in the ball.

talk about giving him treets,the last 4days when he gets his tabs[5] twice a day,he wags his tail and woof's them down licks his lips and wants more.i think he saw the wife eating a pack of m&ms. last day today,then tomorrow vet will come and do another blood test.then a nervous wait for the result.

[meatboy]

sometimes blood transfusions are given as well... sound like some kind of tick fever to me also....

the best defense against ticks so far here in our mountain is ultra shield spray or seresta tick collar... nothing else works anymore... not sure if those are availabel in thailand but if someone can bring u, they are the best. ultra shield is not for households that have cats that lick dogs, not to be sprayed near cats. the seresta collars are great as well, but here are super expensive.

and any of the drops should be used every four weeks against ticks, every two or three months for fleas... we also use seresta collars with frontline plus for flea protection... we are rural and every household has about three dogs and we have feral cats.

in israel dog blood banks have been started, maybe someone could start in thailand if there isnt one (only large healthy dogs can be used to give blood, i paid 600 shekels for one pack of blood once for my bitch, it was sent by taxi from a city two hours away from us, donated by a great dane...) as tick fevers cause anemia which often needs the transfusions

thanks bina,we do take great care with him,every night he lays between me and the wife in bed,on his back and lets us check all over him,but with him having a double coat sometimes you can miss one.i found one this morning 1.30am after he went out for a leak.those tablets are making him drink like ??????????? me.and eat aswell.as long as he's allright getting up twice a night is a small price to pay for all the love we get from him.

I PRAY TO GOD HE IS ALLRIGHT

[meatboy]

my boy has had another fb.today and the vet just phoned to say everything is clear but his red blood cells are a little bit low and wants to give him another course of tabs.

is this normal or should i be worried.

my beloved couldnt be better in himself,eating well,drinking well,sleeping and playing.

to go through not knowing is eating me inside.

meatboy.LOVE ME LOVE MY DOG.

[wayned]

I wouldn't worry, just give him some more of the meds. It takes time for the meds to work on the bone marrow and the cell count doesn't increase overnight. My last Golden, the runt of my first litter in Thailand, was continually sick when he was young with incredible nose bleeds caused by a congenital defect in his nasal passages. I never thought that he would survive to celebrate his first birthday, but he turns 12 on June 8.

[meatboy]

I wouldn't worry, just give him some more of the meds. It takes time for the meds to work on the bone marrow and the cell count doesn't increase overnight. My last Golden, the runt of my first litter in Thailand, was continually sick when he was young with incredible nose bleeds caused by a congenital defect in his nasal passages. I never thought that he would survive to celebrate his first birthday, but he turns 12 on June 8.

thanks wayned the wife is so uptight about it even the dog can sense the tension,between us.

one post say's it could be a 6-8 weeks.

[isanbirder]

Nothing to worry about, meatboy. I'm happy to hear he's well again.

[meatboy]

a BIG THANK FOR easing the pain although i wont rest until i know the outcome.

the tabs are 1x pink about the size of an m.m. twice a day.

2x white small round, twice a day.

2x yellow the same size as the pink one,twice a day.

the wife has read the posts and she realizes what you are saying.

as for our vet i have full confidence in him,having obtained his degree in america.

strugling to come to terms this morning on his walk,first the wifes freind who was waiting to greet him with a hug and kisses asked how old he was,have you ever tried taling with a golf ball stuck in your throat,and one of my mates greeted him the same only for him to look me in the eye's,well i couldnt hold it back so i had to tell him.

so guys a BIG BIG THANK YOU, FROM MRS.MEAT AND MYSELF.

the wife has just come back from the vets and both of us are a little bit concerned.

he gave her the same tabs as above plus a black one the size of the pink,to take 2x twice a day 30mins.after the first lot.

now comes the concerned part,he thought he had given us them first time around.

wife is not happy that he is maybe a bit dually.

so all in all thats 7 in the morning and evening 14 in total.

[Nienke]

It's a bit hard to say just from the internet, but with the black pill I would think in the direction of liver or blood (red blood cells) support pill.

If so, it's a bit weird as doxycycline should not be given together with this kind of pill/supplement as it interferes with each other.
But best to ask your vet what each pill actually is and for what it for.

[meatboy]

It's a bit hard to say just from the internet, but with the black pill I would think in the direction of liver or blood (red blood cells) support pill.

If so, it's a bit weird as doxycycline should not be given together with this kind of pill/supplement as it interferes with each other.

But best to ask your vet what each pill actually is and for what it for.

thanks nienke the vet told the wife the black tabs are to be given 30minutes after the other ones,and told her they were to build up the red blood cells.

[Nienke]

It's a bit hard to say just from the internet, but with the black pill I would think in the direction of liver or blood (red blood cells) support pill.

If so, it's a bit weird as doxycycline should not be given together with this kind of pill/supplement as it interferes with each other.

But best to ask your vet what each pill actually is and for what it for.

thanks nienke the vet told the wife the black tabs are to be given 30minutes after the other ones,and told her they were to build up the red blood cells.

Ah, there you go.

Glad your dog is so quickly recovering.

[meatboy]

It's a bit hard to say just from the internet, but with the black pill I would think in the direction of liver or blood (red blood cells) support pill.

If so, it's a bit weird as doxycycline should not be given together with this kind of pill/supplement as it interferes with each other.

But best to ask your vet what each pill actually is and for what it for.

thanks nienke the vet told the wife the black tabs are to be given 30minutes after the other ones,and told her they were to build up the red blood cells.

Ah, there you go.

Glad your dog is so quickly recovering.

thanks again,if the wife is anything like me,what i am told one minute i forget the next.

she is worrying more than me although she doesnt show it like me,but having been together for over 28yrs.he is all we got.UNREPLACEABLE

[meatboy]

today hopefully is his last day on medication.it still hurts not knowing if he is clear.

as in another thread this is a hidden disease which you would never think they got unless you just happen to notice a strange behavior like we did.but from now on its a blood test every 6months instead of 12.

so tomorrow will be another test and then the agony WAITING for the result.

the tears are still flowing my BELOVED so please,please let him be free.

love me love my dogxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx meatboy.

[Patsycat]

Fingers crossed. I hope he will be ok, from reading your posts over the years i know how much you love him. Kinda made me love him too, a husky living in thailand...

[meatboy]

Fingers crossed. I hope he will be ok, from reading your posts over the years i know how much you love him. Kinda made me love him too, a husky living in thailand...

everyone on our moo-ban loves him to,so if ever you come this way,come and meet him.

[meatboy]

the vet rang us last night with the results of his last blood test,

first there is no improvement in his red blood cell count[its been 4weeks of treatment].

then came the next blow,they have found 2 capsule's in 100/wbc,of HEPATOZOON CANIS.

as this is eating me up inside,my mind was eased by you all back to end feb.when i asked for help.

so once again can you ease the pain i am going through.

today the vet will give him more medication aswell as an injection.

for 1 minute i dont think he is taking us for a ride,as fbt.350bht,and 500bht for a weeks med.80tabs.

meatboy. love me love my dog.

[isanbirder]

Very sorry to hear this, meatboy. I don't know anything about this parasite, so I'm afraid I can't say anything useful. I hope others will be better informed!