Muscle wasting can happen with long term prednisone use. I don't think she's been on long enough to see that.

You mention she injured ACL in past, hind legs never her greatest asset---it may very well be that being sick, laying a lot, less active...it's causing aches and pains/ stiffening up her joints, laying on them longer than usual making them sore etc.

My dog is 8, 1/2 mastiff, mastiff sized. Her hind end get's a bit sore and creaky, bigger dogs tend to get arthritic earlier. When she was sick her hind end got quite wobbily. She also had off/on lameness, one leg one day, another leg another day. She also moved slow, mostly walked, tired more easily for several weeks, I'd say a solid 3-4weeks before she really looked back to usual self physically( after her blood/tests were normal.) The weather just changed here from...0-17 F....now it's near 40F damp melty. I noticed when she get's up from laying down she looks stiffer, sore, but walks out of it....I also notice my hips and back and I'm waking up in night with hip pain if I've been sleeping on one too long. Damp weather I think has set off both our aches/arthritis.

Sounds good they are tapering down the prednisone. The Clavamox is, think it's the same as Cipro. It will nip the bacteria in UTI. Use same stuff in people. A UTI can make you feel kinda crappy, achey, tired, especially if you've already just been thru a lot. Young healthy person usually just ouch, burning sensation, but, for example, elderly, someone already sick/ hospitalized for something else...it's suprising how dramatic a UTI can make them feel like s@#t!

I've never found the cranberry products to "cure" a active UTI. However, I'm pretty sure there is sold research to support that cranberry does help "prevent" UTI . But, cranberry can be harsh/acidic/upsetting on the stomach.

Metronidazole can have an anti-inflammatory effect on the bowel---which in some situations relieves diarrhea. It also treats for some other types of organisms, funguses, and I think some things like amoeba/protozoa...little weird critters that cause infections.

It's probably the antibiotics making her stool loose. It'll probably clear out once you finish treatment. Rice and her regular food, or something bland like boiled hamburger or turkey can be helpful. The rice is bland, but also a bulk fiber, so it helps mediate what's going on with loose stool. Pumpkin and sweet potato do the same. But, since she seems sensitive...going with bland everything might be a good option. White rice mixed with cottage cheese, or regular dog food, or boil some ground burger or turkey with the rice when you cook it. This is kind of a old stand by for upset GI in dogs. The vet's prescription diet canned food for upset GI is pretty much same thing, though might be worth trying a can as it's easy and sometimes...I dunno, they actually work suprisingly well.

Thanks EKC lisalisa for all your reassurance! I am feeling better these days with how she is doing. Although sometimes I can see her heart beating pretty hard, I wonder if that is the Prednisone. I notice it sometimes when she is laying down. Not panting from her mouth but her chest is moving fast like her heart is beating fast.

Monday I'll ask the Dr. if they prescribed her the Metronidazole just for the diarrhea because then I'll just stop that medication. I'd rather not give her meds if I don't have to.

Ever since we stopped the Ondansetron, she no longer as leaky stool. What a relief! This is what you told me EKC lisalisa from your experience with your dog even though the Vet told me stool leakage isn't a symptom of the drug. It just shows how valuable it is to hear from pet owners who have experienced it rather than what the "text books" tell Vets sometimes.

I have been giving her Probiotics throughout the day away from her meds but that is tricky for me as she is very picky when it comes to meds! I usually have to sprinkle it with some wild sardines to mask the smell of the probiotics but we are making it work :) I'm also giving her joint supplements as well throughout the day (another tricky situation masking that pill in cheese because it's too big to fit in her favorite pill pockets! Thanks for reassuring me about the lameness of the leg and wobbliness. I feel better that this too will pass when she is hopefully finished with all her prednisone medication.

Stay warm EKC lisalisa, sounds like your are in a much colder climate than I am :)

We had a follow up visit with internist today. This all began Jan 25 so almost 5 weeks. Her weight has gone up now to 37.1 kgs which is almost back to her original weight (although I think some of the weight is the excessive water she drinks due to the Prednisone). Lowest weight this month was 33kgs. Her gums pink, no fever. They did a blood panel and urine sample today. I did get the okay to lower her prednisone to 20mgs in the morning and 15mgs at night.

Dr will try to get her off the prednisone as quickly as we can as she agreed that my dog is sensitive to it. She said most large dogs do fine with Prednisone but my dog is a little more sensitive to symptoms. Depending on her lab results tomorrow, she will give me the next reduction dosage schedule. Fingers crossed!

She wants me to finish off all the Clavamox for her UTI especially while she is still on Prednisone. So far she has been on Clavamox for about 2 weeks and have another 2 weeks left of pills.

I had a few concerns during my visit:

1. LEG WEAKNESS especially the hind legs but also shaky front. Dr confirmed to me that this was due to the Prednisone and as soon as she is off of the Prednisone, her strength will return. So not permanent. Pheww!!! I wish the other Dr could have given me this bit of knowledge but she never did. This morning while she was trying to go potty up a little incline, she lost her footing and tipped over on her side. Luckily she fell on soft dirt. It was just so sad. I'm always next to her so I can help her up when she takes a little fall. It literally feels like she was an athlete and within a week or two on Prednisone she became an old old lady. She feels boney, especially her spine, hip, shoulder blades, and head.

2. ENLARGED STOMACH: her tummy looks bigger and rounder but not noticeable when she is standing up. Kind of like a puppy's tummy. Dr. said this is due to her spleen being enlarged. She said it was due to the Prednisone but not to worry as it will go back to normal size once Prednisone is stopped.

3. PREDNISONE CAUSING PROBLEMS: I read a comment by Meghane about one month of Prednisone causing kidney and heart failure and neurological problems. Dr. said no and not to worry about that.

4. AUTOIMMUNE: I asked her again if she still thinks its autoimmune. She said yes. She said rodent poisoning or infection is unlikely because her lab work would have shown it (her lab results were fine... only issue was low platelets and then low red blood). She also told me that many dogs just get autoimmune disease out of the blue and 95% of dogs recover and never relapse. I think I read something different online but I like her odds better. This was the first time I actually felt relief, like I felt my dog was going to be alright.

Couple other things we talked about:

DIARRHEA: She told me to add some more fiber like green beans and gave me Tylosin (Tylon) capsule to treat her diarrhea since I stopped the Metronidazole as it didn't help. I'm not too worried about the diarrhea.

APPETITE/FOOD: She was surprised when I told her that my dog was finicky when I add pumpkin or probiotics in her food. She said dogs on Prednisone will eat anything. She said it could be due to the Clavamox. She told me to not do her usual semi raw food until she is off of the prednisone due to her immune system being suppressed. Will continue her meals of: cooked sardines, mackerel, salmon, turkey, chicken, beef, chicken liver, chicken gizzard, chicken heart. For treats she gets homemade dehydrated turkey (jerky). I recently discovered pill pockets by greenies but now my dog doesn't like them. I also found out it has wheat gluten which isn't good for dogs. I'm now giving her pills wrapped in deli meat which she likes.

CERENIA: Costco messed up the dosage and I missed one dose. She started to refuse eating for a day and a half so I think nausea set in pretty quickly. As soon as she was back on Cerenia, she started to eat again. Mental check... prednisone makes her nauseous and Cerenia is a must!

Last night I re-read this entire thread on Houzz. Most of it scared me to death so it was tough to read. There weren't too many updates on treatments of Thrombocytopenia so hopefully all this documentation and advice I am getting from caring dog owners can help others.

By the way Costco sells dog medication and is half the price as what they charge at the Vet. (prices may be different depending on the dose) but see attached for anyone curious about the price. It's not as convenient as getting the meds at the Vet but if you have to "refill" I would suggest Costco or anywhere that sells pet medication. Prices online are good as well but they usually charge a lot for shipping and most of the time you can't wait for the shipping time.

Lab results came back tonight. No more UTI infection in urine sample (opted not to do urine culture even though it was recommended by vet) but will continue remainder of Clavamox. Platelet count is now 307,000 but Red Blood is 34%.

Dr mentioned anemia could be caused by possible stomach ulcer or her meds. She didn't specify which meds but I assumed Prednisone.

She wanted me to double the Prilosec dose to 2 in the am and 2 in the pm (was doing 1 in the am and 1 in the pm).

I'm concerned... should I be?

Her prednisone reduction schedule:

2/26/17: 20mgs / 20mgs (am/pm)

3/3/17: 20mgs / 10mgs

3/12/17: 20mgs / 5mgs

3/21/17: 20mgs / 0mgs

Red blood test only in one week. Full blood test in 3-4 weeks.

If anyone is still around on this thread... wondering if anyone has pet insurance for their fur babies? I just signed up for Healthy Paw ($55 a month / 60% reimbursement / $750 annual deductible / unlimited coverage) but considering FIGO. In comparing FIGO to the most similar plan with Healthy Paw ($85 a month / 70% reimbursement / $500 annual deductible / unlimited coverage).

My main issue is: pet policy's rise each renewal year. Even though Healthy Paw does not increase due to pets increase in age, they still raise it due to high cost of veterinary care. (so it might just be worded for marketing appeal)

I'm fine to pay monthly what it is now but scared to be locked in each year while these companies can raise the rates to whatever amount and locking me in because they know I can't switch due to pre-existing clause.

I don't have any experience with pet insurance. I don't think pred causes ulcers or anemia--I think some antibiotics might do that to RBC's but I'm really not sure, can't recall and haven't looked it up. Antibiotics and any NSAID's she may be on could cause GI irritation and ulcers. Upping the Prilosec won't hurt the dog, pretty safe stuff.

Thank you so much! Really hoping her red blood count test tomorrow will be better.

I wanted to post an update: My dog is doing as well as expected. Her Red Blood Count we retested on last Monday was great at 44%. Not sure why it was low the week before.

Overall I feel like she is now improving and not worsening. I know that this is because we are lowering her Prednisone weekly. We are currently at 20mgs (am) and 5 mgs (pm). I feel like with every drop in Prednisone, I notice a tiny bit of strength, which means little more stable in her legs. She isn't taking a fall every day anymore. Maybe once every 3 days if that. I still help her up especially if she is coming up from softer surface (dog bed) or slipper hardwood floor or tile. She can get up on her own (barely) off the rug. Her appetite and thirst are still the same. Weather in So CA is now in the 90s so she is drinking more so taking her out to pee often hasn't changed. At night I am only waking up once 1-2 times to take her outside. I still feed her small portions every 3-4 hours. I feel like that's the only way to satisfy her hunger. Her poop is perfect now thanks to Tylosin (two every 12 hours). Her tummy is still swollen from the enlarged spleen. Tummy hair growing back. For the first time in 11 years, her nails look like they could use a trim because she isn't active. (I'll let it be for now since I've never cut her nails before) We do about 2 walks a day outside. Walk is about 15-20 minutes at most. Usually she will find grass and lay down for 5 minutes during her walk. Some days she wants to go a little longer,. We have some steps in our neighborhood so I push her butt to help her up as it is a bit of a struggle going up.

One big thing I have noticed is her stinky farts! Holy bat man. I have googled and some do say its the Prednisone. Giving her greek yogurt throughout the day does help some but wow. It's 'clear the room' stinky but the smell lingers that you wish you had a gas mask.

Friday we will be at 20mgs (am) and 0 mgs (pm) and probably will go in for full blood work a week after to make sure her levels are doing well. I feel hopeful now and feel that she is going to be alright.

___________________

Meds: Prednisone, Clavamox (a couple more days left), Tylosin, Prilosec

Supplements: Probiotics, Spirugreen, Turmeric, Joint/Glucosamine, Milk Thistle.

Food: (variation of...) Ground turkey or Ground beef with carrots and cauliflower rice, green beans, chicken, Chicken Liver and heart, mackerel, chicken bone broth, Goats milk with blueberries and spinach, Salami with greek yogurt in between with pills or pill pockets

Snack: dehydrated chicken and turkey, string cheese, bully stick,

Update: My dog is doing well. She is still very weak but does manage to get up from laying position but most of the time still need help with a little boost. She does take a fall 1-2 times a week but thats improved because she used to take a fall daily. Her stamina is completely gone. She no longer can go on decent walks. Usually 5 minutes and she finds grass to rest. We are averaging about 10 minute walks in the am and 10 minutes in the pm. Our walks are only so she can poop. She must be drinking a little less because I now let her out to pee every 5 hours (before it was every 3 hours). Still hungry as a hippo.

One of the interesting things I found out is as soon as we lowered her Prednisone to 30mgs a day a few weeks ago, her noise fear came back. We thought it was the Cerenia (anti nausea) that was helping with anxiety but nope... I realized up until then, she must have been so drugged and lethargic that those fears didn't affect her. (afraid of high pitched beeps similar to smoke detectors low on battery). Another interesting thing I have observed is that her tail is so far under all the time. Even dogs she considers her friends get close to her, all the hairs in her back stand straight up. I know its because she's vulnerable and realizes that she is so weak and can't defend herself.

Her blood work yesterday was GREAT. Her platelets are now over 400,000 and RED is 42%.

Her liver is elevated but Dr said its from the Prednisone and should be fine since we are lowering her dosage. I just ordered Nutramax Denamarin just to be safe, I don't want her liver to be damaged.

Although we finished 1 month of Clavamox to treat her UTI, her test results showed she still has bacteria (again side effect of the Prednisone) so Dr will send it for urine cultures and see which meds we can give her. (i just spent $200 on Clavamox and have more than 1/2 left).

I've gotten used to her stinky ass farts so not a big deal except for when she does it in public... embarrassing! LOL

We are currently at 17.5mgs of Prednisone. (Dr said its still a high dose.... but then again she did start with 60mgs (Jan 25) so I'm not sure why she said that. I just can't wait for her strength to return) I assume it took about a month for her strength to diminish, it will take longer to return.

New Prednisone Schedule:

3/21: 17.5mgs Currently

3/28: 15mgs, 4/11: 12.5mgs, 4/25: 10mgs, 5/9: 7.5mgs, 5/30: 5mgs, 6/20: 2.5mgs, 7/11: 1.25mgs, 8/1: 1.25mgs every other day.

This schedule puts us over 6 months since the start. I did request Dr. to decrease a little faster.

Does anyone know where I can donate unused pet medication? Anyone need it for their dogs?

• Ondansetron 8mgs
• Metronidazole 250mg
• Mycophenolate 500mgs
• Famotidine 20mgs

Update:

It has been a little over 2 months since my dog became ill with "Immune Mediated Thrombocytopenia".

In the last week or two she has began to make improvements! She is now able to get up on her own without help, she's more stable which means she isn't falling over very often. She has even tried to run a little but I do stop her because she isn't strong enough for that! She is more alert and starting to act more and more like herself now! She is still vulnerable that she follows me everywhere in the house.

We will be going back to do her 1 month blood work in a week or two but I'm confident the results will be fine. It will be interesting to see how her liver is since I started her on Denamarin. (FYI its cheapest at Costco $40).

What I have noticed is she no longer sheds. She only has hair loss at the tip of her tail. She is still hungry all the time and started to cut down on her calories which isn't easy when your dog is begging for food and she probably doesn't understand why she feels hungry. She has gained all her weight back and then some so we have to a little more careful.

She doesn't get tired as easily as before now. She sits less and is able to keep standing for much longer which is great. She doesn't really want to go on long walks still but that's okay. Its still a challenge getting her in the car because she isn't strong enough to jump from her step to my car but we manage. She just loves car rides so I do take her everywhere with me.

Her deadly farts have disappeared too. No clue what that was all about. She still farts (makes a little noise) but no smell. thank goodness!

Anyway, I think thats all the update I have. I am just thrilled that she is getting better! We will be lowering her dose down to 12.5mgs on Tuesday.

I know that when this first happened (Jan 25), searching the internet was so scary and discouraging. So scary I remember crying helplessly and slamming my laptop shut. I hope that whomever does search and come across my updates, they will feel less afraid and optimistic. I didn't think she would make it but she is getting better. I certainly would have loved to read more positive posts on such a terrifying disease.

3 1/2 month update:

My dog is doing so well! I think she is about 80% back to her old self! Her strength is back. She isn't running yet (I don't let her) but sometimes she does but its a little wonky when she does. She is 11 1/2 years old after all. She is pretty stable now and no longer afraid she will loose her footing and fall over. She gained 6lbs from her original weight but I think that will come down as we start doing longer walks now.

She is still hungry but lowering her calories a bit now. She drinks a lot but not nearly as much as she used to. She's been able to sleep thru the night but once in a while I do take her out in the middle of the night if she needed to. She is doing great over all.

She is able to go on pretty long walks now but sometimes she doesn't feel like it and we turn back. We've done almost an hour walk but not daily. Her hair has grown back ever so slightly recently but still bald where they shaved her (stomach, front legs, and one back leg). No hair shedding yet either.

Medication: Prednisone 7.5mgs

Test results: Everything is great, her liver test was back to normal. Her kidney was slightly elevated but that may be due to dehydration.

I was wondering if anyone has had issues with their dogs skin turning black. Vet says its the Prednisone but I can't seem to find much on it online. Is it temporary? I noticed it on where her skin was shaved on her front leg and a lot on her tummy where her hair is slowly growing back. her tummy is very blotchy and very dark. Vet didn't seem worried at all but wondering if anyone had this and if it was temporary. Thank you.

I just skimmed through the comments going back to February. I'm blown away because it's the first time I've heard of anyone else's dog having such similar problems as mine. I hope I can help...

In April 2016 my dog had 0 platelets and she was diagnosed with ITP. She was given a steroid shot (dexamethasone), prednisone, doxycycline (10 days to treat any type of tick disease), Prilosec, pepcid, sucralfate (miracle bc it stopped her bloody diarrhea), and cerenia. Lots of stomach meds bc I was afraid she would have a massive GI bleed. She also started melatonin (3mg 2x/day she's a smaller dog) because it's been found to help humans with ITP. After 5 days, her platelets were still 0 and she started cyclosporine too. My regular vet (who I cannot believe isn't a specialist because she's a genius) and my specialty vet did x-rays, ultrasounds, and what seemed like a million tests. We couldn't find a cause. Her platelets went up, but not as quickly as most dogs do.

When it was time to taper her meds, she did okay for a few weeks and then her platelets dropped to 0 again. All of her meds were upped to the starting dosages and azothiaprine was added. I think this was when her prednisone was switched to prednisolone because it's easier on the liver. She refused to eat until her red blood cell count increased. So, I force fed her slightly warm pureed dog food and water through a syringe. I made sure she got the food and water she needed. It was hard. The combo of meds plus the azothiaprine really helped her and she was awesome for a few months.

She started having really bad diarrhea and she was throwing up a lot. The vets said it was pancreatitis and that it was probably caused by the azothiaprine. She stopped the azothiaprine and spent a few days/nights getting IV fluids. She was better for a few weeks. It flared up again and she spent a few more days/nights getting IV fluids. She wasn't into chicken and rice. She continued to have horrible diarrhea for a few months. The vet had her on metronidazole, which helped, but the diarrhea came back as soon as she stopped taking it. She was also treated for intestinal worms (the prednisolone had her eating poop in the yard).

I did a lot of researching and found something about too much prilosec and pepcid causing problems because they lowered the stomach acid too much. I stopped the pepcid and lowered the prilosec. I also switched her food from Wellness Core for Small Dogs to Solid Gold (Lil Boss) because it was similar to the food she had eaten most of her life and stopped switching up the canned food I mixed in with her dry food. I wanted to limit the variety of proteins because I suspected EPI (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency). Her diarrhea stopped and her awful smelling gas got much better. She still has gas, but it doesn't wake me up in the middle of the night like it used to. Her stomach problems got so much better that I have a gut feeling the azothiaprine wasn't to blame for her pancreatitis.

About halfway through this whole ordeal, her face became paralyzed. She could produce tears, but couldn't blink either of her eyes. She took clavamox (which I later found out is controversial for dogs with ITP) and got artificial tears every 2-3 hours. When she had another relapse, I noticed her eyes got better when the prednisolone was increased. Over the course of everything she was able to blink again, wasn't able to blink again, and is now able to blink again. I think this time it's going to stay that way. She has also had one really bad UTI and one eye infection. She was given Cipro for the UTI and medicated eye drops for the eye infection.

Right now, she seems to be doing well. She's still on all of her meds, but I think we finally know how low we can decrease her dosages without having a full-blown relapse. She takes prednisolone, cyclosporine, melatonin, and prilosec and sucralfate (when I have to worry about GI bleeds).

I'm super skeptical about what caused it and I'm super paranoid about new medications, foods, shots, and vaccines. I don't know what caused it, but I REALLY think it was a specific brand of dog treats (dogswell happy hips) with high amounts of glucosamine and chondroitin. Chondroitin is actually somewhat similar to heparin, which seems too curious to ignore. That was also part of the reason I switched her food from Wellness Core to Solid Gold. It doesn't have extra high added amounts of either. The treats were not cheap and with her expensive vet bills, I wasn't always able to buy them for her. When she started doing better and I wasn't spending as much on vet bills, I would buy them for her. It was like clockwork. Her platelets would drop after about 5-7 days. She hasn't had another relapse since I stopped giving her the treats.

She was treated for worms, took clavamox, and took Cipro, and none of those caused a relapse. I haven't given her flea, tick, or heartworm prevention and I will never have her vaccinated ever again. I treat my yard and carpets and she's an indoor dog.

Her specialty vet said melatonin also helps with their coats and I think that might be true. I don't think it helps her ITP, but she isn't as bald as we expected. Earthbath makes a shampoo and conditioner that's hypoallergenic. That has really helped her skin. I also rub coconut oil on her belly when it gets too flaky. Her groomer said she looks better than any dog she has seen on that much prednisone. She does have more black spots on her skin. They look like birth marks. I think it's related to the meds, but they kind of stopped showing up at some point. They are still there. She also got a few little hard white bumps. Totally normal and caused by the prednisone.

She has experienced leg weakness from the long-term prednisolone (like Cushing's). Her huge weight gain didn't help. She went from 16lbs to 24lbs because of the prednisolone. She is almost down to 20lbs. I replaced one of her meals with green beans and she eats a lot of baby carrots.

Overall, I think she relapsed 4 times. If you have any questions for me, feel free to ask. I am sure I left out details that might have helped you, but it's been a crazy 14 months.

wow. What an ordeal you and your dog have gone through. Poor thing.

Relapse and eye paralysis thing sounds scary. I have never heard of that before.

My dog is at a little over 4 months now and about to go in for her monthly check up which includes blood and urine analysis. I have my fingers crossed but she seems to be doing really well. We are at 5mgs of Prednisone and will be dropping in 3 weeks. We dropped alot since it all began and tapering off very slowly. I wish we can go faster but I guess I have to trust her specialist.

Her stomach is all black now, her hair starting to grow back slowly. I just worry the dark pigment is permanent and what long term effect that has on her.

She isn't drinking as much but still wants to eat a lot. Her last visit one month ago she was up 6-8lbs but pretty sure she is closer to 10lbs heavier. I don't feel like we feed her more than we had before but she is also not as active as she used to be. Her stamina is up and able to do long walks but does get tired still but thats okay.

Yesterday she had diarrhea but that might have been from goats milk that I gave her but little tylosin fixed that. Medication wise just the prednisone. She does still take her spirigreen, milk thistle, probiotics, glucosamine, crananidin, turmeric, everyday but those are all fairly natural meds I think.

I'm paranoid too about what caused it in the first place. I am starting to think it was a tick but I don't know if its common here in Los Angeles. I haven't heard much from anyone on tick borne diseases here in LA. The day before she fell ill, she went on a hike. When she returned she had been licking her paw and there was blood. I couldn't find any cuts and left it at that. I think back and think maybe that was a tick bite. So on our walks everyday, I worry. I won't take her to that hiking spot ever again though.

Anyway thanks for sharing your story. I pray that there will be no relapse for your dog. She's been thru too much.

Also, my dog has been on scary high doses of prednisolone and cyclosporine non-stop for 14 months. She has blood drawn every 2 weeks. So far, none of the really scary side effects.

I'm glad your dog is doing well. The prednisone isn't fun. I watch my dog's calories closely, but she isn't losing anymore weight. It's definitely the prednisone. I don't know if this pertains to your dog, but my dog's belly used to be lopsided because her liver was so enlarged. Her body got used to the meds and that stopped. Most of the other prednisone side effects went away too, except the hunger and the insomnia. The insomnia did get better though. Maybe that's why your dog isn't as thirsty. :)

No I never noticed a lopsided tummy with my dog. Her belly is big and plump though but just all over like she gained weight plump. Her vet said its because of her liver being enlarged. I think she told me it will shrink once she stops her Prednisone though. Her liver was a little high but her last reading was back to normal. This may be because of the lower dose of Prednisone. My dog is 80... well more like 85 now probably (yeesh!) so 5mgs is probably very little dose. How long has she been off of Prednisone? I'm hoping her constant hunger will stop once the prednisone stops. She isn't drinking as much as she used to. Her leg strength has improved as well (no longer falling although she does take a stumble every now and then when she miss calculates her footing because she's distracted. Insomnia? My dog sleeps well.... but I think she got used to middle of the night walks (when she was drinking a lot) so sometimes she thinks its walk time at 2:30am.

Your dog actually sleeps through the night?! I haven't had a single night since this started that I wasn't woken up 2-3 times. My dog just wants me awake with her.

She will have to take the pred and cyclosporine forever. She weighs 21lbs now and is at 2.5mg/day, which is the second lowest she's ever been at. When her platelets crash her pred gets upped to 25mg/day and the tapering process starts over again. Initially, I was really worried about all of the meds. Her liver was huge and made her lopsided, she was very thirsty and hungry, she didn't want to sleep, she had awful thin flaky skin, she breathed heavily, and she couldn't handle any activity at all. Her hunger hasn't changed and she still wakes me up 1-2 times each night, but everything else is barely noticeable. The last time her meds had to be increased again, I thought the side effects would come back too. They didn't. I think her body has kind of gotten used to it.

It sounds like your dog is doing really well! Whatever you're doing seems to be working!

Is your dog waking up so often due to hunger? It was really tough waking up to take her out every 3 hours especially in the middle of the night (i live in a condo) but luckily she isn't drinking as much anymore due to lower prednisone. I take her now for a walk around 12am or 1am before bed and she's usually fine until morning. I was about to say that with all those relapses she has had, she might need to be on the meds forever. We just had an appointment with the Dr. Results of the blood and urine test will be tomorrow. Always get nervous and anxious but hoping for good safe results. I asked the Dr about the weight gain and she said that will stop as soon as she is completely off of the meds. Her tummy just looks bloated but she said that will subside as well. She didn't know about the dark skin pigment if that was going to be permanent or will disappear over time. I do notice that she pants more than she has. She seems to be hot even when she shouldn't. She lays a lot on the cold tile and run the ceiling fan on all night to attempt to keep her comfortable. Her strength isn't quite back yet. She still seems a bit wobbly to me. Sometimes we'll be walking and her toes get caught and curl under. She will be 12 in a few weeks so I don't expect her to start jumping around but do hope that she will get back her strength and stamina.

I hope that your dog finds the right dose of Prednisone soon. This disease is tough on our fur babies but also on the owners. Hang in there.

5 month update:

My dog is doing well. Today we will be dropping her Prednisone to 1.5mgs / day!

She is now shedding at full speed. I assume all those months without a drop of hair falling probably is catching up to her now. I wonder if any owners noticed the excessive shedding towards the end of Prednisone weaning? It's also over 100 degrees here in So Cal. Fun times. Her stomach where it was shaved still has not grown back yet.

Our walks are still about the same length. Not too short and not too long. The heat doesn't help so she lays and sleeps most of the day on cold tile. I don't blame her.

Her latest blood work was excellent and no UTI. Our next one should be in 2 weeks.

Next month July 25ish should be her last prednisone. I am very excited to celebrate her 12th birthday next week.

Thanks for all the support. For anyone in the future with similar diagnosis... don't give up on your dog. I feel like we've been through hell and back but she is doing alright.

That's great news! How awesome!

Last week should have been the last pred decrease for my girl, but it's going back up. Her platelets were at 245,000 yesterday evening and 75,000 with spots tonight. I'm hoping we caught it in time and they won't drop to 0 again. I've already been told she will have to stay on meds forever, but it's still such a bummer. I was really looking forward to being able to get her weight down.

On the upside, I made an exciting discovery last week. I started spraying a tiny bit of genta spray (for my other dog's scaly irritated skin infection.. antibiotic antifungal maybe?) on some of her little dark blister-ish-looking bumps. The little bumps are almost gone AND the black spots around them are getting lighter! She doesn't have very many black spots, but she didn't have them until she started her meds so I'm happy that they're fading. I thought they would stay forever. I wanted to share because the black spots seem like a common problem.

I hope your little girl's platelets don't go down.

My dog didn't get a skin infection from the Prednisone. Where are her little black bumps located? I haven't heard of that before. I'm glad they are gone now! The only black spots I saw on mine were under her skin visible in the areas that were shaved like her stomach. Dark black splotches all over. Dr called it pigmentation. She wasn't sure if it was temporary or if it would go away once she is off of her Prednisone but that it wasn't anything to be concerned about. It's hard to tell if its still there (I assume that it is) but her hair has grown back slightly that I don't notice them anymore.

Ill have to see what her weight reads when we go back in a few weeks again for blood work/urine test check up. I don't think her weight has increased. She isn't as crazy hungry all the time anymore so I hope she will loose some weight soon. She still looks fine but with her arthritis, we do need to trim down about 10 lbs. I tried to go back to semi raw food a few weeks ago but I didn't do it gradually so she had major diarrhea for 2 days.

She is currently on: semi raw pork chops, green beans, cottage cheese, alternating cooked chicken or cooked liver at the moment.

We used to (before all of this) give her semi raw beef bone to keep her teeth and gums clean but now we've been giving her a thin piece of bully stick and that has done wonders for her tarter build up and pearly whites.

One of the things bothering me right now is her nails being long. We never had to cut her nails because they got trimmed from walking/running on pavement but because her exercise has been limited, it has grown. I tried to cut them a month or two ago but that didn't go too well. She has black nails and oops. I haven't cut them since.

My vet said the little bumps were probably just hyperpigmentation. The black spots are in the same places as the bumps and I think they're the same as what you described. It just looks like her skin changed color.

like this? the dark circles are her nipples but you can see black pigmentation. She has more, this was taken months ago when I noticed it appearing and got worried she was bleeding out again in her tummy.

Looking for ideas - ITP. My 10 year old dog Solomon one day just lost his appetite - it literally happened overnight. Took him to the vet - realized he had lost over 20 pounds in one year. Nothing came up for tick born problems. His kidney stats were problematic - but the big one was his platelet count - it was in the 200s. Started Pred. One week later - he had gained 7 pounds - kidney functions normal - but platelet count down to 139. Continued pred. His appetite has been great - normal activity level (for a Newfoundland that means little or no activity...) - gums look fine. 2 weeks later - he has gained another 10 pounds - looks great, acts great. But platelets are now down to 39. Vet is supposed to get a consult with NC State. I lost another Newfie to IMTP a few years ago. We had pet insurance then and I think we spent about $5,000 doing transfusions, etc. She bled out a couple days after we took her to the specialty clinic. Now there is one issue with Solomon. Xrays and scan showed an abnormally shaped liver - enlarged with rounded edges. Vet thinks it is cancer. Can't afford to anything beyond palliative but thus far he is not exhibiting any other signs except platelet issue. I have been doing research and am thinking about asking her to give him a shot of Vincristine and then change out the Pred for Azathhioprine. There are a couple of other drugs out there generally used for people - Atopica and Nplate - both cost thousands of dollars... I am scared to death that I'll wake up one morning to find Solomon dead...Any and all ideas welcome.

Sharon K.

I just saw that picture of the back spots. Yes that's very close to what my dog's spots look like. Occasionally, she gets a few little black, scabby, pimply bumps. The Genta Spray has really helped with her spots though. Really helped.

I am so sorry that you and Solomon is going through that! Sometimes I think it's harder on me than my dog because I worry so much and she acts totally fine.

Your dog is probably huge so Atopica (cyclosporine) is probably extremely expensive. My dog is small 21lbs and was taking 75mg a day plus the prednisolone. It was expensive, but I found a an online pharmacy that sells a generic version and it literally cut the price in half. Heartland vet supply.

My dog had a really difficult time getting her platelets up the first time and the first few "relapses" that she had. It got to where any time I would notice even a small bruise, I took her to the er vet and requested a platelet count, vincristine, and a steroid shot.

There were a few times that the er vet didn't do the steroid shot and I noticed a difference. I definitely think the steroid shot helps, but I don't think the vincristine did much for her. That probably varies by dog though.

In the beginning, she was on pred and Atopica and she wasn't getting much better. A specialty vet added azathioprine to her list and she improved within a week and did awesome for months. Unfortunately, she had pancreatitis and the azathioprine was stopped because it tends to cause pancreatitis. I have doubts that the azathioprine caused her pancreatitis though. I think it was food related. She had gi issues for a few months after the azathioprine was stopped. Her platelets were so awesome while she took it that I've considered trying it again. I would definitely suggest trying it, but I'm not a vet.

Other things that seemed to help my dog were switching from Prednisone to prednisolone, melatonin, sucralfate for go bleeding, limiting types of protein in food, and reducing her exposure to environmental allergies. Prednisolone is supposed to be easier on the liver and her liver tests did improve after switching. Melatonin has been shown to help people with itp. No proof in dogs, but it's pretty safe. It's also really helped my dog's coat while on pred. The specialty vet actually said that. Sucralfate helped my dog a lot when her platelets got really low and blood was in her stools. It helped quickly too. It could be coincidence, but my dog's itp started after moving to a new city and after I started switching up the wet food that I add to her dry food. She's allergic to pretty much everything. For example, she's allergic to human dander and grass. Seriously. When she relapsed the 3rd or 4th time I went all out trying to limit her diet to one protein so her body would be used to it. I got a ton of air filters, water filters, and cleaning supplies and I tried to eliminate as much allergen exposure as possible. I think it helped. There's no way to know, but I decided that eliminating anything that would trigger her immune system to work harder was worth it.

There is another med that might be less expensive than some of the others. I think it's mycophenolate mofetil. I think I remember being told that it was made to be like azathioprine without the side effects. I think it's a newly generic med. So it's cheaper than it used to be. I'm pretty sure that's the next addition if my dog's platelets drop again.

Just pointing this out... My dog has been on high doses of prednisolone and Atopica (cyclosporine) for 17 months straight and she's handling it very well. She's pudgy, a little less fluffy, and has had 2 UTIs, but that's not so bad.

I hope your dog is doing well and gets better ASAP. It's tough. Feel free to ask questions. I had so many when my dog was having a hard time.

sharonkinsey21, I hope Solomon is doing well.

7 Month Update:

My dog is doing well but in my previous post, I had mentioned that she was shedding like crazy, which I associated it to lowering/stopping her Prednisone (she hadn't shed for months while she was on it and all of us sudden it all wanted to fall off of her.

I discovered it was an yeast infection. Has anyone had this happen to their dogs after stopping steroid medication?

Holistic vet Karen Becker mentioned that steroids, which suppresses their immune system can open the door to yeast infection.

That's when I started researching yeast infection and pretty sure that is exactly what my dog has now. She had a flea bite and thought she had a allergic reaction but she was also smelly just days after bathing her. Smelled sour and greasy to the touch and the excessive shedding. Yup Yeast Infection!

Although I've been closely monitoring her, she was licking the top of her paw and now has created a sore. I know that she is itchy.

I haven't taken her to a dermatologist (never been) but that will be my last resort. I did buy a couple of antifungal shampoo's and have been bathing her 2-3 times a week (or as often as when I start to smell it on her). I think it has improved a little as she is no longer shedding. Dechra Miconahex+Trix Pet Shampoo and SynergyLabs Vet forumular Clinical Care Antiparasitic and Antiseborrheic Medication Shampoo is what I have been using. I've also been dipping her paws in vinegar & hydrogen peroxide as often as she would allow it.

I know that it has improved but I just haven't been able to get rid of the yeast infection. It's been a month.

Anyone have any suggestions or experience with yeast infection?

I just want it to go away. I feel like I'm doing everything that I can but not sure if there is more that can be done to get rid of the yeast.

I've even added coconut oil and oregano oil in her food as well.

Will be going back for blood work check up next month. Her previous check up was on her 6 month and all results were great. Dr still pushes me to do the urine test but she doesn't have UTI anymore so I keep turning her down. Blood work alone cost $250, If I do the urine test thats another $250-$300. yeesh.

After reading all of your posts I thought I would offer a hopeful post about my Max. Max is a 13 year old Welsh Terrier. On Labor Day he started with a nose bleed. The few drips grew to mass sprays of blood as he sneezed. I took him to the pet ER and was told his platelets were 0!!! They couldn't find any either on the slide or the other way they test. I was told he would not survive the night but we would try immune suppression meds.

I took him home to let him die peacefully in my arms but here's the good part... he didn't. He continued to sneeze blood but it slowed down by noon the next day.

We went to his vet to recheck (or possibly put him down) but his platelets were up to 65. A far cry from 200 but he was making platelets!! We started him on what I call the miracle medicine Yunan Biao. It is an herbal medicine used for centuries in China for Hemophiliacs. His bloody sneezes then only happened in the morning and within 3 days his platelets were up to 270!! The bleeding stopped!!

A couple days later he developed Pancreatitis from the immune drugs and I almost lost him again. As soon as I insisted they stop those drugs he improved enough to come home from the hospital in 24 hours.

We continued the Yunan for a week and he hasnt taken it since

He now eats boiled chicken and rice 3 times a day, still has soft stool but his platelets were 369 last week. He's playing and happy. He's my "Super Max" (picture taken last week)

If your vet has access to Yunan I strongly recommend it. Typically it is taken either every other day or five days on/ five days off.

I hope this is able to help a little. My heart breaks for those of you who lost your beloved fur baby. Max and I are sending you hugs.

Mrsmickyb

Thanks for sharing such a great story of "super max"! Very interesting about the herb Yunan Biao. I looked it up and definitely read some miracle work on so many pets. I will try to remember that herb if ever we god forbid encounter internal bleeding (again) or know anyone who is going thru it. So great max is doing so well.

(some info I read on the herb: https://www.veterinaryplace.com/dog-medicine/yunnan-baiyao-for-dogs/, https://www.dogcancerblog.com/cancer-type/chinese-herb-for-bleeding-dog-cancers/, https://www.activeherb.com/baiyao/ )

I just started dabbling into acupuncture for my dog. The holistic vet we recently visited was very into eastern medicine. They gave us multiple chinese supplements. I'm not sure if they are helping but have been giving it a shot. I do find acupuncture has helped my dog. I don't know if it is just the progression of her natural recovery but something seems to be working. My dog is 8 months and a few days post auto immune illness and is doing great. It has been 2 months since she stopped the steroid medication which did a number on her. Her yeast infection which was pretty bad has finally subsided although still itchy and sensitive in some spots but she doesn't smell anymore. We have done 3 sessions of acupuncture so far, mainly for arthritis in her hind legs and lower back. She is now doing 45 minute walks and majority of those walks entail going up a very steep hill in our neighborhood. She is still shaky and wobbly but I do feel she is getting stronger.

The interesting thing about acupuncture is that, I used to get acupuncture when I was younger and an athlete. It didn't help me at all. But with dogs, they can't lie. So when I saw more pep in her step, walking longer distances, enjoying more time in the backyard, I knew that it was helping her. I saw immediate results, the next day.

In hind sight, I think steroid medication really took years away from my dog. But in midst of such a life or death emergency, you do what the vet tells you. I do wish though that once she was little more stable, I had gone to a holistic vet. Perhaps they would have come up with a way to safely pull her away from the steroid quicker.

The hardest thing was watching your athletic dog unable to do the most simplest of tasks like getting up or stand for longer than a minute. Watching her deteriorate in front of your eyes and feeling so helpless was extremely hard. Knowing the medication that had given her a 2nd shot at her life was also hurting her.

I think the biggest advice I would give any dog owner just going thru something similar is to not give up and seek advice from a holistic vet earlier rather than later.

Yuka, I'm so glad your baby is getting stronger. Max has liver issues so he could not be put on steroids. I haven't considered acupuncture but it might be interesting to see if it helps. He too got weakened and just recently is able to jump up on the couch by himself. He also still has yeast. Are you saying the acupuncture helped with that or maybe the herbs?

Hi Amy. I'm surprised that even without being on steroid medication that Max got so weak. I thought 6 months of steroid medication is why she became so weak.

I would definitely recommend acupuncture for Max or any dog who is older. A dog his age probably has some arthuritis and I'm sure the acupuncture can help with his liver too. Finding a vet who is certified in acupuncture is a bit of a challenge. Luckily for me I was able to find a holistic vet near by. At that visit, they did acupuncture of her entire body and head and also did a round of k laser therapy. Although they were very good, I was able to find a local Vet (not holistic) charged only $48 for acupuncture we started to go to him instead.

At the holistic vet they gave us 3 chinese herbs:

Sui Wu Tang (I think this was to treat her skin?)

Concentrated Wei Qi Booster (I think this was to help increase her immune system)

Concentrated hindquarter weakness

Thuja drops (This was to help get rid of the Prednisone (steroid) from her body).

We ran out of all the medication so I don't think we will continue with it but I did order a couple of chinese herbs and arthritis meds from https://www.onlynaturalpet.com. Have been giving those a try.

The yeast infection was really bad, she just smelled bad and her hair was falling out a lot. (like super shedding like I had never experienced before). I initially thought it was because when she was on high dose of steroids she wasn't shedding so once we started to lower the dose, it was all the hair that was wanting to come off. After doing research online, I discovered that it was a yeast infection. I also learned that steroid medication suppresses their immune system so it's very common for them to get an yeast infection. Would have been nice for the internist to warm me a head of time. More reasons why I don't always trust vets.

What I did was I bathed her 3 times a week with antifungal shampoo (Dechra DermaBenSs Shampoo, 12-Ounce) and wiped her ears with (Dechra 50 Count Miconahex +Triz Wipes) and days I didn't shampoo her applied foam: Douxo AntiSeptic Chlorhexidine mousse. I also put a boot tray at the entrance and filled it with water, white vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide so her feet would also get a rinse ever day. We did this for at least a month. It wasn't easy. (when bathing avoid oatmeal ingredients)

I think it was a combination of everything that helped. It was possibly the herbs to help increase her immune system that may have helped in conjunction with the bathing.

I'm not confident just the shampoo cleared it up because its important for her immune system to get stronger to fight off these types of infection.

I would recommend adding immune strengtheners if you aren't already:

https://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Organic-Pet-Superfood-Super-IMMUNITY/371001.aspx

https://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Only-Natural-Pet-Immune-Strengthener/999032.aspx

Did acupuncture help the yeast infection.... it's possible but I think for that it was a combination of the antifungal shampoo and immune increasing supplements that worked.

I now bath her once a week which has been helpful to keep her from being too itchy still.

I know this post has not been commented on in quite sometime. I am hoping people will get see this. My dog has been going through this the last couple of months. I was wondering what all these dogs used for flea prevention. My dog had gone from skin topical to pill form about 3-4 months before the auto immune issues started. Thank you in advance for any responses.

Hi. I don't know what your question is. My dog doesn't use flea meds topical or pill form but she went thru autoimmune disease. Wondercide sprays and their flea shampoo bar works great of you are looking for flea meds.

I wanted to update my dogs progress. About a year since the ordeal began.

TLDR (Too long didn't read): It's hard to believe that one year ago, I came on this thread filled with tears and despair. All the wonderful pet owners who shared their dog's personal experiences, advice and gave me hope to keep fighting along side my dog. My 12 year old dog is doing great and I hope that all of my questions, answers and updates can help someone going through such a terrifying illness. Be strong and never give up.

__________________

It was a long recovery process but she is doing really well. We found a vet who does acupuncture for about $50 per session and I believe that has helped greatly. I try to take her once a month. She is a beast when we are on walks. She can walk forever. We do about 1 full hour of walk in the morning and 3-4 times a week another 1 full hour of walk at night. It's amazing to think she could only walk a couple of feet before she had to lay down to rest and wore a bell around her neck because she couldn't get up on her own.

She is eating well. Her weight is a little over what I'd like it to be (little too much bully sticks!) but we are cutting that back down. oops!

She isn't on any medication ... just supplements and vitamins everyday. One particular medication I think is doing wonders is a supplement called Concentrated Hindquarter Weakness by Jing Tang.

She isn't jumping up on furniture or into the car (We use a step and a little boost to get up) but she is 12 and arthritic. There were concerns of her curling her toes under when she was walking during her recovery but that thankfully has gone away. As she became stronger and built up her muscle she is no longer doing that. She is however buckling every now and then on our walks which is a concern but when I spoke to the vet about it... he wasn't too concerned. Just chalked it off as arthritis in the hips. I don't know if that would ever improve but keeping her strong and as long as she keeps enjoying her walks, I am happy. I try to massage her back and hips as often as I can. Icing is also good but she hates that so haven't done it recently.

I've noticed her hearing isn't as great as it used to be... It might be a good thing as she isn't freaking out when the near by the frequent building fire alarms go off anymore. I hope she doesn't loose her hearing completely though. Not sure if there are any supplements to help with that?

We are doing blood work every 3 months now. her liver was slightly elevated so we will go back in a month for another blood test to make sure. (she drank about a cup of vegetable oil during Christmas when we weren't looking and threw up shortly after.. maybe it was from that).

Over all, she is doing as well as I could have hoped for.

I hope for anyone going through this terrifying disease, keep your head up and don't ever give up.

Thank you for your support. My dog thanks you too! HUGS.

After my dog started having problems, I was terrified to use flea/tick medicine or heartworm medicine. I still haven't used heartworm medicine. She's an indoor dog and I take extreme precautions, including treating the yard, when mosquitoes are a concern. I did end up using flea/tick medicine though. I read that k9 advantix (the one that repels mosquitoes) uses more intense chemicals so I did not try it. She used to use it regularly, but I had switched to Frontline plus before she got sick. I tried Frontline plus because it would be easiest to "undo" if she started having problems. It's not ingested and, even though it is absorbed into the oil glands, it can be washed away with Dawn dish soap. She didn't have any problems with it. I used it more for fleas than ticks so I re-applied it after closer to 90 days (how long it's supposed to prevent fleas). At the end of the summer the fleas were really bad in our yard (treated to prevent fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, etc) and I ended up trying a pill instead. I think it was bravecto. She did fine with it too. I was surprised because she is still on a decent amount of medicines. I am suspicious about revolution, but only because I tried it right before she got sick.

Our dog is 10, his count is back up so weaning off steroids. He moves in slow motion. Just flops down when he lays. Can not jump up on the bed now with out help. Was told it probably was the steroids. The only thing different was the change in flea prevention to pill form and not external.

Hi. I brought my Bella in for physical plus she was walking stiff. She is a Maltese. i asked for a titer test which is more expensive but covers more in bloodwork. Well the next day I was informed she had anaplasma but from a deer tick. Pallets were at 43,000. Very low. Started prednisone and meds for the deer tick infection. Two weeks later went up to 154,000. Still low but not in danger zone. Now predisone is every other day but now in 0.1 mg of Atopica. Going back in one month. Praying pallets go up. Should be 200,000 and up.

Anyone need to talk email me at ricuperogina@gmail.com it’s nice to talk with others going threw this. Prayers to all our furry babies

Can some start a Facebook page Dogs with low pallets. I’m not to good with computers. It will be easier to vent to one another.

My dog has this it's called immune-mediated thrombocytopenia it's fatal unless it's taking care of my dog is a 33 lb standard poodle she's had it for a few years she cannot go off at she takes a hundred mg of atopica it's a cyclosporine it's the only thing keeping her alive prednisone will work but it's harder on the stomach please talk to your vet about this the disease is IMT and the dosage amount is determined by the weight of the dog I hope all is well please let us know thank you

This thread is very helpful. My Golden seems to be dropping platelets for no reason and our vet suggested prednisone. I was crying and shaking reading web posts till i found this. Im afraid to give him steriods.

Last update I posted here was three years ago when my dog was 12. She will be 16 years old in a few weeks! Zero set back with the immune mediated thrombocytopenia. Our issue now is her hind leg mobility but with use of a sling and daily stroller walk... we are managing ok. I hope this update will give others hope.

❤❤❤❤

Porter T - is that our Guinnesss? How is the heat and how is Guinness (Figo!) coping?

My 6 yr old dachshund began bleeding from her mouth so we took her to the vet who initially diagnosed her as gums bleeding as her teeth were due for cleaning along with an abscess. She continued to bleed some from her mouth thru the night and on the following day she was brought in for teeth cleaning. On the day following her teeth cleaning, we again noticed blood at her mouth and now in her urine. She was drinking some water and she ate a little but then vomited some blood so once again we brought her in to the Vet and was advised that she likely had been poisoned or had an autoimmune disease and that we ahould bring her immediately to LSU Veterinary Hospital. Got there, stabilized her and diagnosed her with ITP and kept her in ICU overnight. Less than 12 hrs later, received a call that she died as her bleeding could not be controlled. This occurred over a 4 day period.

Oh no @JT Joseph. I'm so sorry for your loss. I wonder if your first vet had done blood work, they would have realized it was something more serious. Thank you for sharing your experience as it will help others one day. Rest in Peace little Dachshund. Again so sorry JT.

Thanks Porter T, when we brought her in for her teeth cleaning on Wednesday, the vet identified a spot on her belly and ran blood tests but he would not have the results back until Friday (today) since he must send off the blood work. She was treated for poisoning with Vitamin K on Wednesday also just in case. On Thursday as the bleeding event continued, we brought her to her Vet once again and then rushed her to LSU at mid morning and received the terrible news at 1250am the following day. it happened so rapidly that it was shocking! The Vet at the hospital mentioned that this was an abnormaly.

@JT Joseph your doxie is so adorable. I am so sorry her life was cut short so suddenly. It's so hard to know what causes ITP. It's something our internist told us was that most of the time we just never know why it happens. But bruising on the tummy I believe should have been urgent and the vet should have had the labs done in house or had you go to LSU that day for immediate blood work. Just my opinion but maybe if it was diagnosed Tuesday or Wednesday, it may have been enough days for steroids to kick in and save her life. I'm sorry, this doesn't help you. Please cherish the wonderful memories you shared with your sweet dog. So sorry. :(