Should my pregnant dog continue doxycycline for low platelets?

Depending on whether or not it appears to be an active infection it may be worth proceeding with treatment using doxycycline. There is a possibility of side effects in the puppies but the mother’s health may be more important. I’d recommend discussing with your vet.

Unfortunately, no, doxycycline is not a good choice for antibiotics in a nursing mamma dog. First, it does not have the spectrum of antibacterial activity needed for most mammary gland infections. This means that it may not clear up the infection entirely or be effective against the organisms causing the infection at all. Secondly, this is a drug that needs to be avoided in nursing moms because of potential side effects it can have in young puppies. This drug is not safe in neonates and can cause problems with the teeth in these young pups. I would recommend taking your momma dog to the vet to be examined and to get an antibiotic that is safe for her and the pups. In the meantime, until you can get to the vet, try using warm compresses and massage on the affected glands if your dog will tolerate it. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

I'm sorry to hear about Kobe's current issues. Leptospirosis is typically treated with Doxycycline unless it is some extremely uncommon strain. The only way to know the strain with absolute certainty is with a culture of the urine or blood. In general however, Doxy is a fine choice. The platelet count that you are seeing isn't terribly low. I would also be curious to know whether or not your vet is relying on the the machine's read out or if he is manually reading a platelet count on a slide. These machines are notorious for misrepresenting platelet counts due to the cells clumping together (known as platelet aggregates). I would not say that this platelet reading is indicative of successful or unsuccessful treatment of Lepto. I would base that on Kobe's clinical response, clinical signs, and serology sent out to a laboratory. Continuing Doxy for an additional 14 days isn't going to do any harm more than likely if Kobe handled it fine the first go around. However, I would recommend having serology sent out next time before embarking on a third doxycycline regimen. Hope this helps!

If your veterinarian recommends Doxycycline for Samson I would go ahead and give it. The benefit of the medication most likely outweighs any risk that it may have on Sampson. Doxycycline does not typically affect the growth but can affect tooth enamel when given to very young puppies. Since Sampson is 10 months old he shouldn’t have this issue at all. I hope this helps. Best of luck. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

If there is any suspicion of leptospira infection antibiotics can be possibly given even if pregnant (for example Amoxycillin and clavulanic acid). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Hello. I wonder if perhaps the labels were mixed up. Normally, Doxycycline would be prescribed at 5-10 mg/kg ( 136-272 mg ) every 12 - 24 hours & the niacinamide 500 mg every 8 hours. Now if your vet actually sent home tetracycline, then the dose would be 500 mg every 8 hours. But if the Doxycycline was substituted for the Tetracycline, then the total dose should be less. I would definitely double check this with your veterinarian as soon as possible. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.