[Felvtalk] Merlot

[Marsha]

Treatment depends on the cause of the low platelet count.  If it's low 
enough that blood can't clot properly, he could develop internal bleeds 
from minor events, and become anemic or worse.  If the cause was his 
immune system attacking his own platelets, the treatment might be 
prednisolone to suppress his immune system.  But if he's FeLV+, that's 
not so likely.  Platelet deficiency is called thrombocytopenia.

Marsha

On 10/18/2015 1:54 PM, Maya D'Alessio wrote:
> Hey everyone,
>
> Merlot is my 3.5 year old cat. Last summer my other cat passed away 
> from FeLV (we had no idea she had it), and we had Merlot tested. He 
> tests + on the snap/pcr test, but - on the ELISA. This gave me a 
> little bit of piece of mind, in the hope that he would not become 
> persistently +.
>
> Last night he was completely uninterested in dinner (very unusual for 
> him), and he seemed a bit warm and lethargic. I took him in to the 
> vets this morning and they wanted to do bloodwork. He has a 
> temperature of 40.5 C. First results come back all normal except a 
> very low platelet count.
>
> They gave him a small dosage of prednisone, and a shot of penicillin 
> and sent me home with doxycillin and some food to force feed him if he 
> won't eat on his own. They want me to watch him and come back in to 
> the vets in 3 days to re-test his blood.
>
> Any experience with low platelet count, what that means and if there 
> is any treatment?
>
> -- 
> Maya D'Alessio
> PhD student
> B1 377B, x32320
> Graduate Studies Endowment Fund Coordinator
> Biology GSA Vice Chair
> GSA Director At-Large
> University of Waterloo
>

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