Why are my dog's platelets still zero after ehrlichia treatment?

The prednisone is appropriate to use as that is what will stop the body from destroying it's platelets. If you are worried about Ehrlichiosis as a possibility then you can ask your vet to test your dog for it. There are two main tests for Ehrlichia: PCR testing for Ehrlichia DNA OR blood testing for Ehrlichia antibodies. Antibody testing has been the main diagnostic for many years but recent availability of PCR testing has changed the approach.

The problem here is to establish the underlying cause of thrombocytopenia (low platelets). Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia is one of the most common causes. This process usually occurs in the spleen although the liver also plays a role. Thrombocytopenia develops as platelet destruction exceeds compensatory production by the bone marrow. Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia can be classified as primary or secondary. Secondary processes can be caused by infective diseases or tumors very commonly. Usually to determine a diagnosis more tests needs to be performed like abdominal ultrasound and chest x rays. Infective diseases like Ehrlichia, Anaplasma spp for example should be ideally evaluated as well. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum (where you can post pics of the blood tests) or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

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.

The main two things i would suspect is Tick fever caused by a bacterial called Erlichia (it is treated with an antibiotic called doxycycline). it could also be an autoimmune hemolytic crisis, this will need to be treated with steroids.

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, 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!

You are describing pancytopenia which is a low red blood cell, white blood cell and platelet count. We see this disease process secondary to infectious diseases carried by ticks, toxins such as hormones or even secondary to some medications such as anti-inflammatories, primary diseases of the bone marrow and cancer. Unfortunately, it is a problem because if left untreated his platelet count will continue to drop resulting in bleeding and his low white blood cell count predisposes him to infection. He needs to be tested for tick borne disease and possibly have a bone marrow aspirate. In the meantime, your veterinarian may recommend treating him with doxycycline and prednisone.