Our Dog Has Itp. Here Is His Ongoing Story:

[Smallville]

definbtely NOT the pie filling..

glad thing are going ok with yr dog...

myheart dog had immune mediated thrombocytopenia......

H

How did your experience turn out?

[Golden Rules]

The problem Smallville is that ITP is a chronic disease and is for life. Once the medication is stopped, the symptoms come back.

Spleen removal basically solves the problem and means no more vet visits. I'd be interested to know why your vet sees this as a last resort.

[Smallville]

The problem Smallville is that ITP is a chronic disease and is for life. Once the medication is stopped, the symptoms come back.

Spleen removal basically solves the problem and means no more vet visits. I'd be interested to know why your vet sees this as a last resort.

Actually, there is Acute AND Chronic ITP. I am taking it as though his is Acute. This is something that I will bring up next Tuesday however. I also got this from http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/splenectomy:

There are some disorders in which splenectomy is usually recommended. They include:

Immune (idiopathic) thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). ITP is a disease involving platelet destruction. Splenectomy has been regarded as the definitive treatment for this disease and is effective in about 70% of chronic ITP cases. More recently, however, the introduction of new drugs in the treatment of ITP has reopened the question as to whether splenectomy is always the best treatment option.

Another site said that the patient is on pennicillin for the rest of it's life.

I am sure that if they feel that spleen removal is necessary they will suggest it.

[Golden Rules]

The problem Smallville is that ITP is a chronic disease and is for life. Once the medication is stopped, the symptoms come back.

Spleen removal basically solves the problem and means no more vet visits. I'd be interested to know why your vet sees this as a last resort.

Actually, there is Acute AND Chronic ITP. I am taking it as though his is Acute. This is something that I will bring up next Tuesday however. I also got this from http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/splenectomy:

There are some disorders in which splenectomy is usually recommended. They include:

Immune (idiopathic) thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). ITP is a disease involving platelet destruction. Splenectomy has been regarded as the definitive treatment for this disease and is effective in about 70% of chronic ITP cases. More recently, however, the introduction of new drugs in the treatment of ITP has reopened the question as to whether splenectomy is always the best treatment option.

Another site said that the patient is on pennicillin for the rest of it's life.

I am sure that if they feel that spleen removal is necessary they will suggest it.

Yes, as I said before, I am quite familiar with ITP Please don't get me wrong, I am not advocating your dog have a splenectomy instead of following a protocol of drugs, I'm just putting out something for you to think about.

I realise there are chronic and acute forms of ITP, however your dog has had this for some months now which is more indicative of a chronic form. I hope for your dog's sake that it does turn out to be acute only. That is obviously the best prognosis.

Regarding the use of lifelong antibiotics, that is a very old fashioned idea and if you speak with any haematologist these days they will tell you it actually doesn't make any difference, especially as we become immune to ABs if taken too frequently. I know patients who had their spleen removed 20 odd years ago and have been exceptionally healthy ever since - without antibiotics.

You have me wondering now if there is such a thing as a Canine Haematologist?! I'm not sure the specialties would go quite so far with dogs.

[fifi]

When a dog suffers GDV, often the spleen is involved, in fact in some dogs it is splenic torsion only. We have had two dogs whose spleen had to be removed during surgery, and recovered.

Its not low risk surgery, but sounds like something to consider for your boy if he is in danger of developing cushings or some other disease with long term steroid use.

fifi