lorello Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 My dog has just been diagnosed with Imt. The first I noticed was she had bleeding gums..she went down hill very fast. In vets her first platelet count was 1..they didnt trust the machine so sent blood to city to confirm .it came back a 3. She had a platelet transfusion and is on high steriods.She has swelling and blood marks now on her stomach. Has anyone had experience with this??she also has anaemia aswell. She is 3.5 years old...it has been a stressful week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 what is IMT? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pjrt Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 what is IMT? Immune Mediated thrombocytopenia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorello Posted December 15, 2014 Author Share Posted December 15, 2014 Yes thats it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rappie Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 IMT is immune mediated thrombocytopenia. The anaemia can be due to immune mediated haemolytic anaemia (referred to as Evans Syndrome whenit occurs with IMTP) or secondary to internal bleeding due to a lack of platelets to initiate clotting. I'm sure there are several DOLers that can share their personal experiences but if you have any general questions feel free to ask :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starkehre Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Lorello, I am so sorry to hear your girl has been diagnosed with this dreadful disease. I have experienced IMT twice (both with my Rottweiler bitches) which is fairly unusual considering it is not overly common, though also not that rare either. It is an extremely serious disease that can be very difficult to come back from once platelets are dropping to the numbers your girl has. That said, there is hope. I have one of the very few survivors of IMT that had the worst case that all the specialists that saw her (and there was at least 10 of them) had ever seen. 6 years on and we still have her... we were very, very lucky. Sadly my other girl didn't make it. Both my cases were IMT without IMHA. It can be a long, emotional, demanding and expensive road to recovery if you can get there. I wish you every success with your girl. If you need someone to chat to, please feel free to msg me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyCresties Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Sorry to hear your girl is going through this I have a dog who has survived IMHA, so I can give experience from that side of things. The immediate treatment is usually high doses of steroids and and an immune-suppressant such as Atopica (cyclosporin). The cause is often unknown and it comes on very suddenly - basically the body starts attacking and destroying its own blood cells. The treatment is ongoing for several months and with multiple blood tests along the way. Her PCV (packed cell volume)or Haemoglobin as these are a critical levels to monitor, also does she have spherocytes and agglutination of the blood? Have a look at the these websites http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=1390 http://users.cloudnet.com/jdickson/ and join this facebook page - they are very experienced and knowledgeable about this condition. https://www.facebook.com/groups/6228146980/ Please feel free to ask any questions. Starkehre has it spot on - It is a long, emotional, demanding and expensive road to recovery if you can get there, the facebook group was a great support tool for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 pardon my complete ignorance... how do they tell these diseases (bleeding) apart from things like rat poison? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rappie Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 pardon my complete ignorance... how do they tell these diseases (bleeding) apart from things like rat poison? Sometimes with difficulty, however there are usually some markers that help to distinguish between various causes. Both IMT and rodenticide poisoning can cause bleeding. IMT is due to a lack (or in cases of a level of 1 - essentially none) of platelets, where rodenticide poisoning is due to an inability of platelets to initiate blood clotting. Often a simple distinction is are the platelets on a blood film or not. If there are no platelets, a normal red cell level and evidence of bleeding then a problem with platelet numbers is the problem. If there are lots of platelets, a normal to low red cell level and evidence of bleeding it looks more like a clotting problem. Although it can vary, IMT tends to have bleeding occur as petechiae (tiny bleeds seen on the gums or skin), small areas of livid bruising, bleeding from light pressue etc. Often with rat bait there can either be no external bleeding (but there is internal bleeding into the chest, joints or abdominal cavity) or abnormal visible bleeding with no history of trauma - a dog I saw recently had a large swelling around its eye, a huge haematoma and a very swollen purple leg. Between a thorough history, physical exam and some blood tests its usually possible to narrow it down. The platelet counts in IMT tend to be dramatically low (<50, normal is around 200-500) whereas even if they are reduced due to other causes of bleeding they are still adequate for clotting to occur (>50). Clotting times and some other tests can be used to get more information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 good to know Rappie That's much clearer than your average google search. I hope my dog never gets any of those problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorello Posted December 16, 2014 Author Share Posted December 16, 2014 Hi had another bloodtest her levels are 57! So it is looking better..she is abit brighter looking but still lethargic..steriods twice a day..crossing my fingers she gets better each day. Although the vet said she can relapse..and we need to get her levels to 200. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Thanks for the update Lorello - hope she keeps improving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyCresties Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Good news lorello :) Just be aware of the side effects of the steroids, you will see an increase in thirst and needing to pee frequently. I was up a few times each night with Louis over the first couple of weeks to let him out to pee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 I think my friends whippet had this. He recovered but it was slow. That was a couple of years ago now though and to see him now you'd never know he'd been sick. I also wanted to add thankyou to Rappie. It's wonderful to have you as a member here with all your knowledge and advice that you give so willingly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starkehre Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Lorello, that is wonderful news Let's hope the platelets can continue to increase and you don't have to start down the transfusion path. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rappie Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Glad to hear there's some improvement Lorello :) Between the steroids, bleeding and having a massive immune response it is not usual for dogs with ITP (or any of a range of conditions) to seem lethargic. If the platelet numbers continue to go up then that is positive. Most of the risk of relapse occurs when we try to reduce the dose of steroids. That wont be for some time though, usually several weeks at the initial dose then a slow dose reduction every 2-4 weeks after rechecking the platelet numbers. There is a percentage of dogs that need to remain on steroids long term, or even for life but unfortunately this cant be predicted at the beginning. Kirislin - thankyou I'm a strong believer in open communication between vets and owners and know that particularly in cases like this once you get home its very easy to forget information you've been told, or think of new questions or need some clarification of information. I'm glad that posters find it of benefit :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorello Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 Hi all just an update...Dusty has fully recovered! Long process but her count is back to normal and she is great. The only problem is she has put on 3 kilos and is now quite overweight... the vet said apparently she can get in back ..but I am more aware now of symptoms. I am lucky i had pet insurance or it would have really cost me big time approx 2500.00 plus tablets. The vet said she was very lucky and early treatment saved her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rappie Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 That's a great update :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 Do love a happy update Lorello. Now you just need to find a balance between good blood count and fat dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorello Posted February 7, 2015 Author Share Posted February 7, 2015 Well she is an Australian Terrier and should only be 7 0r 8 kilos..but now weighs 10.6 kilos..!but she is alive aňd well ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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