TinyMityMo Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Mr. Murphy cut his foot yesterday and was put under for stitching. This vet does pre-surgery blood work and almost all of it was fine. His platelets were only 34 though. He was tested 3 or so years ago for TBD's and was negative and has been on Frontline plus since then with no ticks attached. How low is too low when there are no other symptoms? Should this be monitored or explored further? Quote Maureen, Sean, Molly (Garnett Madonna) and Sully (Starz Top Style) Visit LongDog Leather Works for adjustable leather martingales, wrap around leather tag bags, breakaway tag necklaces and cool leather people gear. Check out our Etsy store! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbotaina Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 That's pretty low. I've heard some reference 30, others 70 and others 100 as the "too low" number, so it's hard to say. Was the vet concerned? BTW, Turbo's are typically in the 130 range. You might want to run it again in case there was an error. Quote Meredith with Heyokha (HUS Me Teddy) and Crow (Mike Milbury). Missing Turbo (Sendahl Boss), Pancho, JoJo, and "Fat Stacks" Juana, the psycho kitty. Canku wakan kin manipi."Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities." - Voltaire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burpdog Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 34,000 is serious. Did they mention "clumping"? I'd repeat the test asap. Quote Diane & The Senior Gang Burpdog Biscuits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinyMityMo Posted April 9, 2008 Author Share Posted April 9, 2008 I called his regular vet. He last had bloodwork 3 years ago and it was 80,000 then which is also low. I'm going to take him in to his regular vet on Saturday and recheck it. Quote Maureen, Sean, Molly (Garnett Madonna) and Sully (Starz Top Style) Visit LongDog Leather Works for adjustable leather martingales, wrap around leather tag bags, breakaway tag necklaces and cool leather people gear. Check out our Etsy store! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbotaina Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 I fully expect a normal report on Saturday Or else we'll have to have Xan make up yet another chant. Quote Meredith with Heyokha (HUS Me Teddy) and Crow (Mike Milbury). Missing Turbo (Sendahl Boss), Pancho, JoJo, and "Fat Stacks" Juana, the psycho kitty. Canku wakan kin manipi."Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities." - Voltaire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysandmollie Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Oh MO.... No knowledge there but hope all is well!! Quote Donna and...Lucy and Chubb Rascal H 10/1/91-5/22/04 My best friend and Bounty Boon 1/23/99-6/25/07 My boy with the biggest heart Cody 7/28/99-8/1/13 My boy that always made me laugh and Dylan 5/12/04-12/29/2017 The sweetest boy ever Miss Mollie 1/1/99-1/30/15 and Pixie -10/10/2017 Lincoln -2/14/2021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest paulamariez Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 I've been having a similar problem with my Bueller. His CBC and chem panel were all within normal range except his platelet count was low, 96,000, they said. (which is actually in the normal range for a greyhound). But the vet felt that is still should be higher than 96,000. He was retested and it was pretty much the same. Bueller's had problems with infections in his teeth and gets antibiotics, but we haven't been able to afford to get him his dental yet, and the vet is thinking that maybe once the mouth problems are cleared up, that his count might go up. If it doesn't, she wants to do a tick panel on him.(I never thought I would go through such hard financial times that I couldn't afford to take care of my dog properly, dental, when he desperately needs it.) Your poor baby's count is even lower than Bueller's. So I'm stuck in the same boat that you are, having lots of questions and nothing really answered. I would definitely follow up with your vet for Mr. Murphy, because 34,000 is definitely not in within the normal range for greyhounds. I think I would start by having the tick panel run again, just to be sure. Maybe something was there last time and it was too low to register on the blood test and it might show up now. Keeping your sweet little boy in my thoughts and prayers. Doggie kisses to Mr. Murphy from Tiger, Bueller and Domino too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinyMityMo Posted April 9, 2008 Author Share Posted April 9, 2008 I spoke with the local vet this evening and he said that he doesn't trust his instrument on the low end and that it's probably at least 75,000. He said once he's done with the antibiotics it should be retested. I don't think I'll have him retest it though if his instrument is that far out of calibration. Quote Maureen, Sean, Molly (Garnett Madonna) and Sully (Starz Top Style) Visit LongDog Leather Works for adjustable leather martingales, wrap around leather tag bags, breakaway tag necklaces and cool leather people gear. Check out our Etsy store! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mandm Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 I spoke with the local vet this evening and he said that he doesn't trust his instrument on the low end That's goofy! It's the low end that is important. Who cares about mid- and high-range? I'd go somewhere where I could get an accurate recount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LittleGreys Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 That is definitely low. They usually start to bruise under 40. Munchie hovered around 60 while she was immuno-suppressed. I asked the exact same question here a few weeks ago, and then got the answer on my own. I work as a vet tech and we had a dog come in after it was being groomed and the groomer noticed it was all bruised, the owner never noticed as it is a long haired dog. His platelet count was 6000. We admitted him and started high dose pred. The next day he had dropped to 2000. After that, it started to rise after a few days of pred. So, other than some bruising, he had no symptoms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinyMityMo Posted April 10, 2008 Author Share Posted April 10, 2008 he does have a bit of a bruise where they put an iv line in. It's about 3 inches long and half an inch wide. It's not what I would call terrible though. Aren't there new tick disease tests that have been developed in the last three years? Maybe I should do a follow up tick testing and send it some place different. I may ask for some Doxy too. Problem is he doesn't have any physical symptoms that I could monitor to see if it helps - he acts fine. Quote Maureen, Sean, Molly (Garnett Madonna) and Sully (Starz Top Style) Visit LongDog Leather Works for adjustable leather martingales, wrap around leather tag bags, breakaway tag necklaces and cool leather people gear. Check out our Etsy store! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Mo, were they just estimating platelets on a CBC, or did they draw a second tube of blood? If they were just estimating ... it still sounds low but I would recommend following up with a true platelet count. The blood goes in a special tube with a chemical to keep the platelets from clumping so they can be counted more accurately. FWIW, Joseph bruised on his first couple blood draws after retirement -- so much that we did the fancy coag and von Willebrand's tests on him -- but his platelets were fine and he hasn't had a problem since. Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lothianjavert Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Hoping everything is OK and it's just a false/inaccurate reading! Quote In vino veritasRachael with Rook, missing Sully, Sebau, and Diesel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bevd Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 I'ce just been having a look at Darcy's blood results from during her chemo and the 'normal' (or reference) range is quoted from 175 - 500 (covering all breeds). At her very lowest, Darcy's platelets went down to 35. The other two print-outs that I have show them at 190 and at 347. I can't get over what your vet said about not trusting his instrument What is all that about?! He needs to refund you your money so that you can use it with someone who's instrument works properly!! To be honest, I'd not even waste time telling this guy to buy a new instrument because he shouldn't need telling. Best wishes for lovely Murphy Quote Deerhounds Darcy, Duffy, Grace & Wellington, Mutts Sprout & Buddy, Lurchers Ned & Jake plus Ella the Westie + cats. Remembering Del, Jessie, Maddison, Flo, Sally, Stanley, Wallace, Radar, Mokka, Oki cat, Tetley, Poppy & Striker. Please visit our web store at http://www.dogsndubs.com for our own range of Greyhound related clothing for humans! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodyksam Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Hoping everything is OK and it's just a false/inaccurate reading! :hope me too! :grouphug Quote Mom to Daisy (1999-2012), LB (aka Little Bit), and Sammy James (aka Sammy or Buddy) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinyMityMo Posted April 14, 2008 Author Share Posted April 14, 2008 Since I happen to work in a clinical lab that does blood tests with top of the line instrumentation I asked the person who runs the coag testing about how it all works. She said older instruments can miscount or skip counting if the dog has any giant platelets which is fairly common (this is different than clumps, clumps is when it starts clotting because the sample is not mixed with the anticoagulant properly whereas giant platelets are just that - really big). She also gave me a couple of pediatric tubes to get some blood from when I took them into the vet on Saturday. She ran them both (Bailey too) this morning and I'm pleased to say that Mr. Murphy has a platelet count of 132,000 and Bailey has 219,000. I'll be interested to see what the sample my vet sent off gets. Quote Maureen, Sean, Molly (Garnett Madonna) and Sully (Starz Top Style) Visit LongDog Leather Works for adjustable leather martingales, wrap around leather tag bags, breakaway tag necklaces and cool leather people gear. Check out our Etsy store! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysandmollie Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Mo... That is so cool to be able to test it on your own!! Glad to hear that Mr. Murphy is okay! Quote Donna and...Lucy and Chubb Rascal H 10/1/91-5/22/04 My best friend and Bounty Boon 1/23/99-6/25/07 My boy with the biggest heart Cody 7/28/99-8/1/13 My boy that always made me laugh and Dylan 5/12/04-12/29/2017 The sweetest boy ever Miss Mollie 1/1/99-1/30/15 and Pixie -10/10/2017 Lincoln -2/14/2021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Winterwish Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Oh Mo,that is a very big relief,and I hope Mr. Murphy is doing well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbotaina Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Great news! I knew he wasn't acting sick (BTW, my cheek is finally pain-free from where he head-butted me last week ) Quote Meredith with Heyokha (HUS Me Teddy) and Crow (Mike Milbury). Missing Turbo (Sendahl Boss), Pancho, JoJo, and "Fat Stacks" Juana, the psycho kitty. Canku wakan kin manipi."Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities." - Voltaire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burpdog Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Whew! What a relief. Great news! I knew he wasn't acting sick Eliza didn't act sick until the day she bled out Always recheck a platelet count that is low. Quote Diane & The Senior Gang Burpdog Biscuits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest paulamariez Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Boy, your post really has me wondering about how our vet is doing their blood tests. I know we've only been going to this vet for a year and have had Tiger's blood get screwed up in the tube and got clotted, so we never got his CBC. Then the last time we took Bueller for his recheck on his platelets, they ended up taking a second tube of blood because the first one was all gooped up in the tube already. Sounds like my vet might be having some issues with their blood taking equipment too. I am sooo glad to hear that Mr. Murphy was just fine! I'm really considering taking Bueller to a different vet and getting his blood checked elsewhere. Thanks for the update. Please let us know what your vet got for their platelet count! I'm dying to find out if it was different that what you got! Kisses to Mr. Murphy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinyMityMo Posted April 14, 2008 Author Share Posted April 14, 2008 In order for a sample to be properly anticoagulated upon collection it should be either drawn directly into the purple top tube with a vacutainer or butterfly and inverted a dozen or so times to mix. If the sample is collected in a syringe rather than with the vacutainer apparatus it should be immediately poked into the purple top tube (which has a vacuum inside it to draw up the correct amount) and the same mixing should occur. Blood starts to clot pretty much right away so the sample should not sit in a syringe for any length of time before going in the tube with the anticoagulant. I just called the vet. Mr. Murphy's platelet count that they sent out was 193,000 so much better. Keep in mind that the one I ran this morning sat in the fridge for two days before being run so it may not be as accurate as one right away. Quote Maureen, Sean, Molly (Garnett Madonna) and Sully (Starz Top Style) Visit LongDog Leather Works for adjustable leather martingales, wrap around leather tag bags, breakaway tag necklaces and cool leather people gear. Check out our Etsy store! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest snakes Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Hope those platelet are going up! My allie girl had us all scared to death when her platelets went down to 2000total. so that would be a 2 on your scale. her normal was about 170k. She had thrombocytopenia after surgery and we after some time got them back up, so anything is possible, but you aren't out fo the woods with platelets until you get a couple readings with them in a normal range for your hounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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