Zoe By My Side- Our Journey with Cushings

Hi Addy,

Something I found when looking for info for you:

http://www.vetinfo.com/dbloodwork.html

Quote:

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These are reported causes of increased platelet counts:

hypothyroidism (usually fairly mild increases)

essential thrombocythemia (reported in the Feb 99/March 99 Compendium of Continuing Education) - signs were lethargy, weight loss, depression This condition is also likely to cause an increased white blood cell count due to neutrophilia and anemia.

myeloproliferative disorders (like excessive bone marrow stimulation, cancers of the bone marrow, metastatic cancers stimulating the bone marrow)

platelet function abnormalities sometimes lead to increased platelet numbers as the body tries to compensate for the fact that the platelets don't work well (usually mild increases, though)

iron deficiency and chronic blood loss (from any source - urinary tract, gastrointestinal tract) can lead to thrombocythemia

With the great elevation in these values, essential thrombocythemia seems likely, even though G doesn't seem to have the clinical signs expected with that problem. Bone marrow analysis is helpful in differentiating among the causes of increased platelet counts.

Mike Richards, DVM 7/19/2000

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I am sure Debbie could tell you more and I will keep looking.

Hugs,
Leslie and the girls - always

Hi Addy,

Have you ever had blood drawn by a really skilled nurse and then the next time you have the nurse from hell and everything puckers when the needle goes in sideways? Well that latter experience can cause a dog to release more platelets so I wouldn't be surprised if the really mild elevation you are seeing is probably Zoe getting a bit excited during the blood draw.

Some dogs with cushing's have slightly lower creatinine. This is largely due to catabolic effects of cortisol which causes muscle wasting. Cushing's can also cause elevated neutrophil but so can excitability or stress. According to what Leslie just posted, increased platelets can cause an increase in neutrophilia too.

Sorry but I'm not sure what BLD 2+ is nor what the normal reference range for protein is. Are these from the blood chemistry or urinalysis?

Glynda

SubTest Name Normal Values Results
SP-TY CYSTO N
Color YELLOW N
Turb CLEAR N
Gluc mg/dL NEGATIVE N
Bilirubin NEGATIVE N
Keto NEGATIVE N
Sp-Gr (1.018-1.045 normal value) 1.019 N
Bld 2+ A
pH (5.2-6.8 normal value) 6.0 N
Prot (mg/dL) 30 A
Uro NORM N
Vol mL <5 N

from urinalysis, Glynda and yes she does get stressed.

but instead of being happy which I should be I don't understand, HOW CAN EVERYTHING BE NORMAL?:rolleyes::confused::eek:

I'm freaking out,
Addy

Hi Addy,

I know what you mean when things come back normal, but you know something just isn't right, but what.....

Hang in there, there has to be some answers in the test results you don't have yet....

Go ahead and start the breathing exercises--in out in out and grab the tissues:D:D

((((hugs)))):)

Oh Marie, you are exactly right. At first I thought the labs were mixed up. I expected to see worsening liver values, I expected things to be worse since last May. I can't get her off the metronidazole and even the gastro panel is normal. I almost wished it showed SIBO so I would know what to do.:confused: I was so shocked yesterday I thought I was going crazy, my mind would not stop racing.:eek:

Does anyone know what the two abnormals are on her urine test? I thought BLD meant blood in urine 2+. Is that from the needle to get the urine? IMS's office was not concerned about it.

Also PROT 30 mg/dl is that protein? is that from her raw diet?

Unless that bacteria she has is from her raw food and the leg weakness I was seeing was from the metronidazole. Maybe the weight loss was from the metronidazole too?

I sure wish the UTK would come in. It has been 2 weeks.

Still confused,
Addy

Addy, the 2+ blood is in the urine. Don't panic. The strips that are dipped into the urine to check for various things such as glucose, blood protein, & a few other things will detect both intact RBC & free hemoglobin. If the RBCs have be lysed (destroyed), they will release free hemoglobin into the urine. Urine is normally pretty acidic which will cause RBC destruction so this isn't all that unusual. Yes, this result very well could be a by-product of the collection by cysto. It's similar to when a human is catheterized to collect a urine, there is always some trauma involved simply from the procedure, so it's not unusual to find a few RBCs. Now, if I remember the report, there were no RBCs seen which leads me to believe that this is free hemoglobin. Guess what, a major component in the structure of hemoglobin are several kinds of protein, so if you have RBCs or free hemoglobin, you will also have protein in the urine. Now, how much is significant, you will have to discuss with your vet.

Debbie

Thank you Deb :):):)You explained that so I can easily understand:)

I will ask IMS if she ever calls with UTK results:confused: They said everything was "good" so it did not seem like they were concerned about it.

I guess I was so expecting bad things so I jumped on anything marked abnormal or high or low:rolleyes: But your explanation and Glynda's make sense.

Deb, does it seem strange to you that her symptoms would get worse but her blood work, etc would be so normal? Dr. Allen from Dechra told me to expect whatever symptoms she has to worsen and then she will develop new ones. So now even her cholesteral is normal? Normal, never thought the word would freak me out so much. I should be used to it, it is what I have heard for 3 years except for the Cushings. That was "significant". I got hung up on that word too:eek:

She has been on melatonin and lignans since August. Could it be that helped her intermediates? She has been on metronidazole for 3 months!!!!

Thanks Deb, for shedding some light on it. I have to go see what happened with Winnie.

Hugs,
Addy

Hi Addy,

I had this whole little reply done and then it disappeared--darn!!!! :eek::eek: Oh well, it must be normal for this last test to take this long so hang in there--get some Koko time and laugh a little!!!:):)

Dear
Addy
I would ask for a copy of the results look at the notations. Then in my case I asked the vet what the results meant for the different readings. Always get the copies so you can compare from previous labs.
On the blood 2+ , Apollo had the same -more than likely due to needle used to get urine.
Apollo had same reading on Specific Gravity -Zoe is still in normal range.
The reading on the Protein is what I would ask the vet about(Apollo's was neg) I did read can go high if stressed.
Apollo stopped losing weight when he was on medication, but the leg weakness is still going on , now in front also.
HUgs Sonja and Apollo
will post on my thread tomorrow.

Thank you Sonja, that info helps.:)

I guess it will just be another long weekend. Hopefully her adrenal panel will come in next week. Can't believe it takes this long.:(

She is walking better since I lowered the metronidazole. Maybe it was side effect. She had never been on it that long. I was going to give her the Panacur tomorrow but we are to have the coldest weather that we have seen in 2 years. If you gets diarrhea, I don't want her running outside all day in 25 below:eek: Guess we wait again.

Hugs,
Addy

Kind of thinking maybe we won't be doing the Panacur. Won't be the first time:rolleyes: