Bruising is a sign the body's immune system is attacking platelets.

After 10 years of being the star in his home, Murphy’s human mom was very in tune with all of the health messages he shared with her. When he suddenly developed a potentially lethal illness, his canine communication skills led to his mom rapidly getting him the treatment he needed to save his life.

During the course of a few weeks last fall, the wee yorkie mix started showing signs of agitation, and his overall behavior indicated something was really bothering him. That’s all it took to start an investigation. Murphy has chronic gastrointestinal disease, but when he visited Dr. Bailey Ryback for a routine abdominal ultrasound, Ryback discovered a condition that was likely at the root of the new behaviors indicating he was experiencing discomfort.

As soon as his abdomen was shaved for the ultrasound, a bruising pattern became visible. Upon further inspection, there was also bruising on his gums. “This kind of bruising is concerning,” said Ryback. “If the cause of such bruising is related to platelets, that could mean his blood’s ability to clot properly could be compromised.”

Blood tests revealed Murphy’s platelet count was 65,000, far lower than the normal low end of the count at 148,000. “The very big risk with such low platelet numbers is that if the number drops to fewer than 30,000, the pet can start hemorrhaging or even die,” Ryback said. “Murphy’s blood work otherwise was normal, and even though he tested negative for tickborne illnesses, we started him on doxycycline as a precautionary treatment.”

At the same time, Murphy started taking and immunosuppressive dose of prednisone – a steroid that can be used to treat immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (IMTP). “Prednisone is known for its side effects, and Murphy developed several of them,” said Ryback, noting his appetite, panting, drinking and urinating all increased while the medications were working in his little body. “The best news, though, is his platelets are back to normal now, and he is once again his perky little self and leading his best life.”

Ryback said Murphy’s trouble began because his immune system unexpectedly overreacted, causing it to start a war within. “There can be many causes of IMTP, and sometimes there is no specific cause for it, but when it happens, the immune system just starts attacking platelets.”

Ryback explained IMTP occurs because the immune system perceives platelets as invaders. “This can crop up randomly, but sometimes the immune system tries to respond to real invaders, such as parasites, drugs, tumors or other things. If the response to the invaders is too similar, the platelets can become mixed up, and that triggers internal bleeding,” she said. “If it isn’t caught in time, the patient can bleed to death.”

The good news is IMTP is treatable with medication, or a transfusion if needed, to give a boost to the platelet count. “Dogs can also be treated by having their spleens removed, but that is the last thing we would try, because it is not as an effective a treatment for pets as it is for humans.”

Ryback said the prognosis is generally good when the condition is caught in a timely manner. “We have to be careful, though. We need to monitor the patient carefully and taper off the steroids very slowly. The good news is that as we taper them down, the side effects also taper off. Still, approximately 30 percent of our patients will relapse, and some might need to be on a low dose of immunosuppressant medication for the rest of their lives.”

For more information or to make an appointment, visit https://greendalevillagevet.com/ or call 414-421-1800.