I know I've been missing for a couple of weeks now and it's not a very good sign when it comes to blogging, but I do have to set my priorities and this time my dog comes first.
This is my dog, Pooch. Please excuse her unruly hair. :)
A week ago, she had fever and her appetite was not as good (she's a finicky eater to begin with). This prompted us to go the vet, and my Mom insisted we go to Animal House in Makati since they have the necessary lab and equipment that other vet clinics don't have.
Two hours later (we live in Bulacan), we found ourselves parked in front of AH(Animal House) Makati. Their clinic was not hard to find although I had trouble finding it on our GPS (just search for Music 21 or Strumm's, they're located next to it).If you're coming from EDSA southbound, just turn right to Buendia, and turn right again to Jupiter Ave, and go straight until you see Mercury Drug (in front of Petron), KFC, Music 21 and then there's Animal House. Be aware though that parking is a little bit hard since there's not enough space for all their clients' cars.
The vet (Dr. Agnes Laforteza) was nice and very informative. Of all the vets I have talked to, she's the only one who takes time explaining everything (take note that they do have a lot of clients that day). Also, they're the only vet clinic that gives out the original result of every test that was done to my dog. Some clinics won't even give you a copy. She found out that Pooch indeed had a lowgrade fever (her temp was 40.5 C, and dogs normally would have 38.5-39.5C temp). She did a blood test on her (results were up within 15mins), and Pooch's platelet count was down to ZERO! Although her WBC and RBC were normal, the result was still alarming. She then performed an Ehrlichiosis test (that looks like a pregnancy test) right in front of me. One band for negative, two bands for positive. I didn't even know if I should pray for a positive or a negative result. A positive result would mean I already know what her condition is, but a negative one would require another set of tests, but knowing your dog is indeed sick can get you really worried. After a few minutes of not knowing what to wish for, the result was POSITIVE. The good doctor said, "at least we know what we're battling with". She prescibed Doxycycline(Vibravet) and Enrofloxacin(Baytril) both in tablet form (which is something I prefer because you don't have to worry about the dosage unlike in syrups) plus Vitamin C in syrup form (Pooch loves drinking it like orange juice). She also prescribed Meloxicam if her fever comes back the next day. Pooch was injected with Tofline for her fever and she did not even flinched. The vet then gave me all the results and told me to compile it and do my own research about Ehrlichiosis so we can discuss it next time. She also told me to get a digital thermometer for Pooch so I can monitor her temp. I thought it was hard to get your dog's temp, but it was actually easy. There's a Mercury nearby and I got one for 200 pesos only.
Ehrlichiosis Test Kit (photo from Virbac website)
Pooch is done with her first week of taking meds, and her appetite is back on track and no fever since we went to the vet. We still have one more week for Doxycycline, then we'll have to come back for another blood test. I do hope that everything will turn out fine eventually.
The lowdown on EHRLICHIOSIS:
- It is transmitted by brown ticks (bites of an infected tick can cause it)
- Usual symptoms are: fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss, abnormal bleeding, vomiting and diarrhea
- Blood test will show low platelet count, and sometimes decrease in red blood cells and white blood cells
- Prognosis is positive for those in the acute phase, severe conditions would require blood transfusions
-The vet said that it's possible that a dog is asymptomatic (showing no signs) for a period of time, then something would trigger it and suddenly the symptoms would pop up.
- Treatment is usually doxycycline.
-Humans can get infected by it, but not through the dog, but through a tick bite also (although I am not sure about the strain).
If you are suspecting that something is wrong with your pet, please bring him or her to the vet as soon as you can. Just like in humans, the earlier it is diagnosed and treated, the better the prognosis will be. Also, if you can, bring your pet to a vet clinic that has the facilities for blood test so that the result could be shown to you in a matter of minutes. I know it could be very costly, but there is no monetary equivalent for the life of our furry friends.
For those that are wondering how much the tests would cost (all in Philippine Peso):
Consultation Fee - 200.00
CBC/BloodTest - 480.00
Prep/Blood Chem - 1600.00
Ehrlichiosis Test - 950.00
Medicines:
Doxycycline Tab - 50.00 each
Baytril Tab - 65.00 each
Vitamin C 1 bottle - 130.00
*We needed 14 tabs each of the Doxy and Baytril.
If there's one thing having a dog had taught me, it would be responsibility. It's like having a kid of your own, just that dogs would never actually grow up and they'll never be able to take care of themselves. You need to feed them (my dog is pretty much spoonfed and handfed), give them cold water to drink, play with them, groom them and put them to sleep. All for what? All for the love and the waggily tails and the happy smiles they give you. That, my friend, makes all the sleepless nights taking care of her worth it.
