bleeding gums and purple marks on body

[Bob Johnston]

Im not sure where to really start. We noticed Sophie was bleeding from her gums after playing over the holiday weekend with kids an another dog. we irrigated and made sure nothing was stuck in there. Today we went to the vet to see if we missed anything. She found the purple marks all over her body and said she thinks her blood isn't clotting right and she is running a bit of a temp. We were transferred to the 24 hr emergency vet because they can do blood tests on site and she was worried about maybe rat or mouse poisoning. thank god they ruled that out right away with tests. the picture is all the tests they have done so far. Here is a list of things they found wrong and what they are doing to treat until more tests come back.

 

Bleeding from gums

red/purple spots over body

mild anemia

very few platelets 

Sophie 10,000 platelets

normal 200,000 platelets

 

Treatment

steroids immunosuppressive does

doxycycline for possible tick bite infection

 

If anyone has any info that may help me out here on what is going on it would be very very appreciated or if you think I should post this in a specific or other areas to get the most responses let me know. Still kind of in shock that this is all happening.

 

 

[charlotte bednarsh]

I'm thinking of you and Sophie.  Hoping all gets better.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm sorry to hear this Bob. I hope they can diagnose the problem and Sophie has a quick and complete recovery.

[Carol Bordwell]

That is alarming, I feel for you & Sophie. I would never venture a guess or compare what I have gone through. Having said that, I will pray for a positive outcome & healing.

Blessings,
Carol

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

Bob I am so sorry to hear that Sophie is feeling badly.  Have they ruled out IMT, Immune Mediated Thrombocytopenia?  Symptoms sound eerily like a case we are aware of.  There is a very good potential for treatment with early detection.  Very, very important to identify and treat quickly.  Here is an article for you about this, many more available online. 

 

http://vetspecialistsofrochester.com/pdf/Internal-Medicine/Immune-m...

 

"Also:  Spontaneous bruising is the major clinical sign. The gums and oral surfaces as well as the whites of the eyes are obvious areas to check, as are the hairless areas of the belly. Small spots of bruising in large conglomerations called petechiae (pet-TEEK-ee-a) are the hallmark sign. A large, purple expansive bruise might also be seen, which is called ecchymosis. Large internal bleeds are not typical of platelet dysfunction, though bleeding small amounts in urine, from the nose, or rectally may also indicate a platelet problem." More...  http://www.merrickvet.com/70723/102662.html.

 

Another similar but not quite the same scenario we have heard of from a vet is Zinc Toxicity, with ingestion of pennies being one of the number one causes.  I was told of a case in which they felt certain they were dealing with canine immune mediated hemolytic anemia but in the end determined the dog had eaten a penny and had zinc toxicity.  U.S. pennies minted after 1982 are 97.5% zinc.  A single penny is capable of tragedy. 

 

Prayers for your girl, we hope to hear an optimistic update very soon. 

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

Ok, I feel like an idiot, just realized it mentioned IMT on paperwork you included.  I cannot emphasize enough the importance of time and treatment.  I have a very dear friend who has far more experience with this than she wanted to.  I would be happy to put you in touch with her if it might be able to help your girl. 

[Bob Johnston]

our regular vet did check her abdomen and her eyes which were still white and clear looking. I brushed her on sat night before we noticed the blood on her tongue and didn't see the purple red spots on her skin or sun when we came home but not sure about Monday. They said she was not anemic and her bine marrow looked ok as well as the ultra sound and I think xrays are happening tonight or have happened already. Her stool was ok last time I saw it on sat and has had regular bowel movements with no blood in either. she is at a 24 hr place so if she needs anything they are capable of doing it right on the spot which is good and I am going to call in a little bit to check up on how she is doing and if there has been anything else ruled out of discovered.

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

This must be very scary. So sorry to hear this.

Do you know if the parents were cleared of Von Willebrands disease? Did they do a blood test  on your dog to rule this one out?

[F, Calla & Luca]

Von willebrands might have some of these symptoms but would not account for the very low platelet count. This dog has a bleeding disorder most likely related to the thrombocytopenia, which is possibly related to an autoimmune reaction.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree F, and IMT is most common in female poodles.

[Bob Johnston]

chest x-ray was clear as well as the quick abdominal ultra sound they did. something about her pcv is maintaining and no new bleeding sights or discomfort. she is happy alert has eaten and gone out for a walk and potty breaks. she is being transferred to internal medicine tomorrow where they will do a full more in depth ultrasound.   

[F, Calla & Luca]

This sounds good.

[Bob Johnston]

So as of today she had her x-ray and full body ultra sound. she s still eating and going out regularly and happy attitude. her platelets have not improved yet but its still early but they have not gotten any worse. They cant seem to find why this is happening even with all the tests but are confident they can treat it. They did notice something odd on the ultra sound that is totally unrelated but kind of makes me a little mad it wasn't found when she was a puppy before we purchased her. She only has 1 kidney. it is working fine and shouldn't pose a problem but has no backup if it ever fails. Is this something the breeder should have known about.

 

Thank you everyone for your prayers and positive thoughts they are very much appreciated and when Sophie gets home I plan on reading them all to her.