My dog has babesiosis and low platelets. Will they drop further?

Hello, the process of increasing his platelets is not that simply described or easy to predict. It sounds like his platelets were decreased due to the infection with Babesia. Therefore, if he has been undergoing treatment for his low platelets, then I would have expected that his number would've increased. Platelets are made in the bone marrow, and the turn around time can be within a day. The best way to truly tell if his platelets have improved is to have them checked with another cbc. Hope this helps and best of luck.

I wish there were a set number of days to expect this to happen, but there just isn't. The body can respond very quickly and normalize platelets or increase platelets just about at any time. THe key is to recheck platelet levels every 2-4 weeks as well as monitoring him for any signs of toxicity (i.e. Lethargy, lack of appetite, spontaneous bleeding, respiratory distress, etc). I hope this helps and best wishes with your pet Bruno and his recnet exposure to Anaplasma.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear about Thunder, he sounds pretty sick. It sounds like you and your veterinarian are trying many different treatments for his low platelets. It is possible that he is suffering from an immune-mediated disease such as ITP, which is immune-mediated thrombocytopenia. This is where the immune system destroys the body's platelets. We can see this secondary to tick-diseases such as ehrlichia. He is already on prednisone, but he may require a second immune-modulatory medication, such as mycophenolate. This medication works with prednisone to reduce immune destruction of platelets. I hope this information is helpful, and best of luck trying to get Thunder's disease under control. I'm sure it is very difficult and frustrating for you.

Hello, According to the attached diagnostic test results, Bruno tested positive for Babesia. Babesia is a red blood cell parasite that usually causes anemia but it can cause decreased platelets and kidney injury. I would advise you to discuss therapy with your veterinarian as soon as possible. The disease is treated with a couple of drugs but typically imidocarb.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Itis good that Bruno is feeling better. Babesia gibsoni can be very hard to completely clear and is an infection that can remain in hiding/dormant with no outward clinical signs. Therapy with variety of different medications has been tried with varying success. Months (2-3) of therapy is often needed. It is important that control of the vector (ticks) be a priority in preventing reinfection if the current infection is cleared.

Hello, I am sorry to hear about Daisy. Based on the blood work abnormalities it is possible that Daisy has an infection secondary to tick borne disease or another organism. Many of these diseases cause destruction of the platelets. The white blood cells are part of the immune system and fight infection. It is possible that this value went up despite being on treatment secondary to fighting a severe infection. However, if Daisy is still not feeling well or these counts don’t improve it may be possible that Daisy’s platelets are low due to a different cause such as immune mediated disease. Your veterinarian can help assess for this kind of disease and determine if treatment is needed if Daisy’s blood counts do not improve or she is clinically ill. Hope this helps, good luck!

As the doxycycline keeps killing more and more of the blood parasites the body will be able to make and retain more healthy platelets. This may take a while. Feed your dog good quality food and he will have the strength to make enough platelets. It will take time.