My senior dog has high blood counts and won't eat. Is it serious?

Hello, and thank you for your question. I'm so sorry to hear that Marble is unwell. This is a situation that definitely warrants a trip to the vet. Given her advanced age, cancer is a possibility. Other possible causes include severe gastroenteritis (gut infection), pancreatitis, toxin ingestion, or parasites. The vet will start by performing a thorough physical exam, looking for any bumps or sources of bleeding. They may recommend blood work or x-rays to further pinpoint the problem. At minimum, they can offer supportive treatments such as fluid therapy to combat dehydration from the diarrhea, stomach protectants and pain medications. The sooner that she can see the vet, the better. In the meantime, I would offer her small, frequent meals of a bland diet such as boiled chicken and plain white rice, which should be easy to digest. I hope this helps, and that Marble feels better soon.

With a white count that keeps getting higher despite antibiotics I would be concerned there is cancer hiding somewhere. An ultrasound would be my next test as it can look at the intestine, lymph nodes, liver and spleen. The spleen makes the red blood cells, and if it has a tumor then that can cause that count to drop. An immune disease can also cause a low red count.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I am sorry to hear that Lucky is not feeling well. I am quite concerned about the anemia as the level is getting low. I unfortunately do not know what the cause is of the anemia as there are many causes ranging from immune mediated anemia, cancer, hemorrhage, etc. Because I do not have Lucky in front of me and am unable to examine him, I cannot make the most appropriate treatment recommendations. There are no over the counter remedies that will help with this most likely as he most likely needs a further workup to pinpoint where the red blood cells are going. Until then, it is a guessing game. I would recommend trying to get him somewhere where there is a veterinarian so that he can be worked up further. I hope this helps and hope that Lucky feels better soon!

It can be very difficult to evaluate x-rays without being on the computer that took them - I can't manipulate the lightness and darkness or zoom in all the way. That being said, I am concerned that there is something very serious going on in Jasmine's liver. It is much, much larger than in a normal dog. I can't see the entire spleen, but the parts that I see appear normal. I can also see that there is some free fluid in her chest cavity - this would be fluid between the lungs and chest wall that can cause trouble breathing. I would recommend re-evaluation immediately with an emergency vet. There could be many things going on, but the heavy breathing you described combined with the abnormalities in the chest have me worried that she may be having severe issues with breathing. This can cause severe anxiety and stress in a dog. The vet will probably want to repeat the x-rays and bloodwork, and may be able to draw off fluid if it is still there to ease her breathing.

Hi, I'm Dr. Johnson. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry Jasmine is sick! The normal temperature for a dog rectally is 100-102. So I do not think Jasmine has a fever. Regardless it sounds like she isn't feeling well. There are many reasons why a dog suddenly won't eat. I see that Jasmine is an older dog and you mentioned she is having trouble walking. She may be in pain or be suffering from a neurologic problem. Other causes for not eating are liver/kidney problems or other metabolic issues; an upset stomach from a virus, a food sensitivity or pancreatitis; or even cancer. Due to her age and the fact that it has been 2 days I recommend you have her evaluated by your Veterinarian. Based on their exam they may want to do blood work and or X-rays. I wish Jasmine good luck!

I'm really sorry to see this...I'm sure it must be very difficult for you and your family to see her like this. If she has not drank in four days, then this is very concerning for dehydration. With dehydration they can feel sick, which will also make her not feel like eating. If she is also losing blood, then I would expect that she is going into shock now or sometime soon. For this reason, I recommend taking her to the vet sometime soon. I understand that she may have terminal cancer, so I'm sure your family may be thinking about euthanasia as an option. This is always a difficult decision and there is no right or wrong answer. If it seems like Kylie is not enjoying life anymore and there is no chance of treatment, then it may be time. However, there may be a way to improve her quality of life for a little longer, so it's worth taking her for an evaluation by your veterinarian as soon as you can. I hope that helps and and Kylie feels better soon.

So sorry that Lola is having this problem. IV fluids are usually helpful in cases of kidney disease. The best thing would be to have an abdominal ultrasound done to evaluate her kidneys and determine if she does have kidney cancer. There are other possible causes of a high red blood cell count and bloody diarrhea, like a disease called HGE (hemorrhagic gastroenteritis) so, without more information, it is difficult to know she has kidney cancer. If your vet can not do an abdominal ultrasound then you could take her to an internal medicine specialist and have one done. Hope she feels better soon!