Canine Immune-Mediated Thrombocytopenia Treatment
Canine immune-mediated thrombocytopenia is a condition where your dog's immune system destroys its blood platelets, the blood cells responsible for blood clotting. Because this poses a risk for severe bleeding in your dog, immune-mediated thrombocytopenia must be treated.
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Types of Drugs
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Large doses of corticosteroid medications are usually used in immune-mediated thrombocytopenia to suppress the immune system. If these drugs are not successful alone, veterinarians then prescribe stronger drugs for immune-system suppression, such as cyclophosphamide or azathioprine.
Features
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Some dogs with immune-mediated thrombocytopenia benefit from blood transfusions to supplement their own blood platelets, according to the "Dog Owner's Guide." For some dogs, removing the spleen stops the immune system's attack on the blood cells.
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Risks
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Medications used to treat immune-mediated thrombocytopenia pose a risk for reduced white blood cell counts, which makes your dog more vulnerable to bacterial and viral infections. Surgery presents a risk for uncontrollable bleeding due to the decreased amount of platelets.
Considerations
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In female dogs, veterinarians usually recommend the removal of the ovaries and the uterus once platelet levels return to normal. This is done to reduce the risk of uterine hemorrhages if immune-mediated thrombocytopenia occurs again in the future.
Breeding
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Both male and female dogs who suffer from immune-mediated thrombocytopenia should not be used for breeding as the corticosteroids used to treat the condition can have harmful effects on offspring. Additionally, there is a risk of future generations' developing immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, reports the "Dog Owner's Guide."
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