My puppy has low platelets. What can I do to help raise them?

Hello, the low number of platelets is very common in automatic blood test done by a machine, machines tend to undercount the number of platelets and it is considered to be not accurate, for this reason the vet will usually do a blood smear and count the platelets manually. i would definitely not be worried about that.

First, you need to make sure the low platelet count is real by having a blood smear performed by your veterinarian. Blood clots leading to platelet clumping and can result in falsely low platelets. If the manual count done using a blood smear is normal, then I would not worry as this means the blood machine results were inaccurate. If the platelet count is low on the manual count, then you need to have him tested for causes of a low platelet count including infections such as equine piroplasmosis. If he is currently on any drugs such as phenylbutazone or banamine consider stopping them. If the aforementioned plan fails to identify the cause, you should have your horse evaluated by an equine veterinary specialist for further diagnostic testing.

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.

I wouldn't say limping is the cause of low platelets. Sometimes platelets clump together and the machine cannot appropriately read it. I recommend having your veterinarian evaluate a blood smear to make sure they are low. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It sounds like Luki has low red blood cells and platelets levels. This can occur for a number of reasons including autoimmune issues, infections, bone marrow problems and bleeding. Some forms of cancer can cause these issues but in an 11 month old dog an infection or autoimmune issue is probably more likely. In many cases this problem is treatable. Prognosis is better in situations where an underlying cause can be determined such as an infection or ingestion of rat bait. Depending on the severity of the anemia and low platelets, a blood transfusion may be recommended.

Sorry to hear about the troubles you've been having. As the ultrasound report indicates, the best method of telling what may or may not be wrong would be by obtaining biopsies of some of the internal organs. Otherwise, the only way you are going to be able to differentiate between the disease processes that are possible are with Coco's response to therapy. Unfortunately, there is no specific medication or therapy that is designed to increase platelet counts besides straight blood or platelet transfusions. However, if Coco has a disorder that is rejecting or destroying platelets, the transfusion is only going to offer a very fleeting response. The fact that Coco was having a fever which is now gone is supportive of some sort of infectious process versus something more aggressive. I would definitely continue to have his platelet counts checked regularly however for the next few weeks in order to ascertain if things are looking up or not. Hope this all makes sense.

You will not notice any physical changes with a raise in platelets. They simply form clots. Energy will increase with better oxygen-carrying ability, which is accomplished by having more red blood cells. Hemoglobin is in red blood cells, and can be low with anemia or iron deficiency. Making sure that Luffy has a good-quality dog food and a few treats of iron-rich foods (like spinach or red meat) will help by giving the body the building blocks it needs to make more red blood cells.