Last year, I lost the best dog I have ever owned to a condition called Thrombocytopenia.
It is an auto immune disorder where the body cannot make enough blood platelets.
What happens is the lack of platelets allows internal bleeding.
After lots of money and a few months of misery, my dog Kenji passed away.
I got through my grieving, and bought a replacement dog, and he is an Akita named Kaizen.
Now 14 months old, we decided to have him neutered.
Our vet, Franklin Veterinary, is very thorough, and did a series of blood tests before the surgery.
We got a call, and Kaizen has a lower than normal blood platelet count....I am thinking NO WAY.
Further testing showed that he has Anaplasmosis, a disease that is from a tick bite.
Kaizen had no symptoms, and he seemed to be perfectly healthy.
What I found out was Anaplasmosis can weaken the immune system over time, and once it is compromised, there is no recovery.
So, when your dog goes into the vet for a check up, please have blood work done.
The amount of suffering my previous dog went through should be avoided.
The good news is that we caught it in time, and a 30 day regimen of antibiotics should clear him up.
It is an auto immune disorder where the body cannot make enough blood platelets.
What happens is the lack of platelets allows internal bleeding.
After lots of money and a few months of misery, my dog Kenji passed away.
I got through my grieving, and bought a replacement dog, and he is an Akita named Kaizen.
Now 14 months old, we decided to have him neutered.
Our vet, Franklin Veterinary, is very thorough, and did a series of blood tests before the surgery.
We got a call, and Kaizen has a lower than normal blood platelet count....I am thinking NO WAY.
Further testing showed that he has Anaplasmosis, a disease that is from a tick bite.
Kaizen had no symptoms, and he seemed to be perfectly healthy.
What I found out was Anaplasmosis can weaken the immune system over time, and once it is compromised, there is no recovery.
So, when your dog goes into the vet for a check up, please have blood work done.
The amount of suffering my previous dog went through should be avoided.
The good news is that we caught it in time, and a 30 day regimen of antibiotics should clear him up.