Can An Infection Cause Low Platelets In Dogs?

Many severe diseases have thrombocytopenia as one component of the condition. For example,

certain infections, neoplasia (cancer), immune system disorders, and pancreatitis can result in thrombocytopenia

, as can drug therapies such as some anti-cancer treatments.

What is the most common cause of low platelet count in dogs?

Increased destruction of platelets in the body (

infectious agents

are the most common cause of this problem)

Can a virus cause low platelets in dogs?

Depending on your dog’s previous medical history and their findings, your vet may choose to do further tests to look for an underlying cause of the thrombocytopenia.

ITP can be caused by various infections, including viral and bacterial infections

.

What infections cause thrombocytopenia in dogs?

Can infection increase platelets?

Infection. In both children and adults,

infections are the most common cause of an elevated platelet count

. 1 This elevation can be extreme, with platelet counts greater than 1 million cells per microliter.

Can fungal infection cause low platelets?

The finding that

patients who died from an invasive fungal infection had very low platelet counts

and RANTES concentrations suggests that these could play a role in host response to such infections.

What happens if a dog has low platelets?

Platelets bind together to clot broken or leaking blood vessels and prevent unnecessary blood loss, so a low platelet count

compromises your dog’s ability to control bleeding, which can lead to bruising and excessive bleeding

. Thrombocytopenia is the condition of low blood platelets in dogs.

How can I increase my dog’s platelet count?

Vitamin C helps your platelets group together and function efficiently

. It also assists your pet to absorb iron, which may also help to increase platelet counts. Good sources of vitamin C include: foods that are high in vitamin C and bioflavonoids, and are palatable include broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts, and spinach.

How long does it take for platelets to regenerate in dogs?

Decreased platelet production: Platelets are produced by megakaryocytes in the bone marrow and are actually fragments of the megakaryocyte cytoplasm. The normal lifespan of platelets in dogs (and presumably other species) is around

5-7 days

(Tanaka et al 2002).

How do you treat low platelets in dogs?

The mainstay of treatment for ITP is

immunosuppressive corticosteroid therapy

, usually given as prednisone starting at 2 mg/kg/day (or 30 mg/m

²

for larger-breed dogs). This dose is gradually reduced once the platelet count has returned to normal, typically with dose reductions of 25% every two to four weeks.

How long do dogs live with thrombocytopenia?

Prognosis. A recent study of 45 dogs by Simpson et al (2018), following cases up to 1 year after diagnosis, stated a

mortality rate of 11.9%

. They reported 89.6% survived to discharge and 31% of those relapsed, within an average of 79 days after successful treatment.

Can tick bite cause low platelets in dogs?

Found across the globe, several types of ticks can spread canine ehrlichiosis, including the American dog tick, brown dog tick and lone star tick. The symptoms of Canine Ehrlichiosis begin about 1 -3 weeks after your dog has been infected and

may include low blood platelets

, fever and poor appetite.

What toxins can cause low platelets in dogs?

Clotting disorders

The most common toxins to affect the clotting cascade are the

anticoagulant rodenticides, brodifacoum, bromadiolone, chlorophacinone, coumatetralyl, difenacoum, difethialone, diphacinone, and flocoumafen

.

What medications can cause low platelets in dogs?

Thrombocytopenia associated with administration of certain drugs has been reported in dogs, cats, and horses. One mechanism is marrow suppression of megakaryocytes or generalized marrow stem cell suppression (after administration of

estrogen, chloramphenicol, phenylbutazone, diphenylhydantoin, and sulfonamides

).

Do platelets fight infection?

Conclusions. As part of the innate immune system,

platelets recognize pathogens from all major classes of microorganisms

. These interactions result in platelet activation and secretion of a broad range of peptides to form a first-line defense against infection.

What virus causes low platelets?

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

The association between HIV and low platelets has been known since the 1980s. Thrombocytopenia, in these cases, can be caused by a combination of impaired bone marrow, compromised immune system and a reaction to some medications.

Why would platelets suddenly drop?

Autoimmune diseases, such as immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis can cause your immune system to attack and destroy your platelets by mistake

. Cancer, such as leukemia or lymphoma, can damage your bone marrow and destroy blood stem cells.

Can yeast infection cause high platelets?

Abstract. Bacteria or yeast may be observed on peripheral blood smears and

may lead to spuriously elevated platelet counts

. They have been reported to disturb the white blood cell (WBC) differential count if they clumped together, and a large number of such microorganisms have been shown to increase WBC counts.

Does fluconazole cause thrombocytopenia?

Conclusion: According to Naranjo’s algorithm

the likelihood that our patient’s agranulocytosis and thrombocytopenia occurred as a result of therapy with fluconazole is probable

, with a total of six points.

Can histoplasmosis cause pancytopenia?

Pancytopenia may be associated with histoplasmosis

, particularly in patients showing hemophagocytosis [7, 8]. Our patient presented with pancytopenia and showed the presence of hemophagocytosis in the marrow; this was an early indicator of infection.