Q: Our dog, Fergie, has some red spots in her mouth so we took
her to the vet. The vet tells us that she has a bleeding problem,
and it’s a lot like hemophilia. Do dogs get hemophilia? The vet
wants to run a few tests to determine what’s causing Fergie’s
trouble. Is this a serious problem? Can it be treated?
Q: Our dog, Fergie, has some red spots in her mouth so we took her to the vet. The vet tells us that she has a bleeding problem, and it’s a lot like hemophilia. Do dogs get hemophilia? The vet wants to run a few tests to determine what’s causing Fergie’s trouble. Is this a serious problem? Can it be treated?
A: Bleeding disorders can occur for many different reasons. They are all very serious, even life-threatening conditions. But fortunately, many can be treated with medications given at home.
Perhaps the most common cause of unusual bleeding is poison. Many mouse and rat baits and even some squirrel baits contain anticoagulants. These products cause external and internal bleeding. Dogs like to eat these baits: they’re very tasty. This makes them just that much more dangerous.
Never, never, never leave any bait or poison out where your pet can get to it. They are deadly.
If there is any chance Fergie may have ingested poison, talk to her vet right away. The antidote for these is Vitamin K and she should be given this medication immediately.
Blood clotting occurs via a “cascade” of reactions in the bloodstream. One enzyme helps activate another, which activates another and so on. If there’s any interruption to these reactions, coagulation fails and excessive bleeding may occur.
Sometimes all we see is small leakage from tiny capillaries on the gums or on the skin. Fergie’s red spots may be some of these small bleeders. But her condition is precarious. If she were to sustain a cut, even a small one, she could bleed excessively.
Hemophilia is a specific type of coagulation disorder that occurs in some humans, but doesn’t occur in dogs or cats. There are other conditions that cause serious bleeding problems, though, and these do affect dogs.
Thrombocytopenia is a disease resulting in a shortage of platelets in the bloodstream. Platelets are tiny particles produced in the bone marrow that help seal the opening in damaged blood vessels. With inadequate platelets, a broken blood vessel cannot properly heal. Hemorrhage is always a threat.
Another bleeding disorder is caused by Von Willebrand disease. Here, the victim has a shortage of one of those important enzymes in the cascade. This enzyme deficiency is different than that of hemophiliacs, but Von Willebrand dogs have the same high risk of anemia and serious hemorrhage.
Fergie’s vet should run a blood test called a Coagulation Profile. This test will help to determine why she has her problem and what medications will help her avoid excessive bleeding or hemorrhage.
Finding out and treating her problem will make life safer and happier for all
of you.
Q: Becky the Beagle is always scratching and licking. She seems to be miserable with all her skin problems. The vet told us she has allergies to lots of pollens and weeds, even our grass. The vet says she can take some medication, but it’s expensive and we’d rather try to avoid pills. Any suggestions?
A: This is a tough one. Dogs can be allergic to almost anything in their environment, and Becky’s allergies may be numerous. Her condition, called atopy, is a complicated one to treat. There are many different approaches, some of which use effective (and sometimes expensive) medications. But before you start using any of these, let’s talk about something simple you can try first.
Airborne pollens that contact the skin of dogs contain allergens that cause itch, redness and discomfort. The itch reaction occurs when pollens build up on the skin. Stopping the itch is difficult. But preventing it before it occurs may be possible and this can sometimes make a huge difference. Here’s a suggestion.
One of the best things you can do for Becky is to bathe her regularly and wash away any allergens. When pollens land on the skin, it takes time, sometimes even a few days before there is enough of them to cause any itch. A bath effectively washes away the buildup of allergens from her skin. Regular bathing helps most patients at least a little and in some dogs, it can be all that they need.
At first you’ll need to shampoo her every three to five days. Once she is more comfortable, try lengthening the interval between shampoos to one week.
You’ll want to be careful to avoid causing dry skin, so use baby shampoo. But if her skin dries out talk to her veterinarian about shampoos with special emollients that will help cleanse her skin without drying her epidermis.
I sure hope this works for you and Becky.
