| Hello; I hope you don't mind that I am writing to you. I just don't know who else to ask. Our vet is a little hard to get information from and I feel uncomfortable pressing him. I trust his judgement, but he is not forthcoming with information and I spend a lot of time worrying about the health of my pet because I just don't understand what is happening to him. This is our situation: I have a 1-1/2 year old Westie that had surgery 2 weeks ago to remove a pencil-eraser-sized pink mole from his back. At the time of the surgery, my veterinarian did a blood test and recommended an IV be administered because he said that my dog's blood was "too thick" and he was concerned that there would be stress on pup's heart during anesthesia. When the mole was removed, the vet's assessment of the tissue was that it was a benign fatty tumor. But at my vet's suggestion, I requested that a sample be sent to a lab for confirmation that it was not cancer. (No answer back yet from the lab.) I returned to the vet's office today to have the stitches removed from the surgery but my vet also wanted another blood sample to check on the thickness of blood. Again it is "too thick". We have another visit to the vet scheduled for two weeks from now for another blood test. Can you tell me what my vet could be looking for? He does not answer my questions very well other than to say that my dog has too many red blood cells. I am very worried and not getting an answer. I have been searching the web for info regarding "thick blood in dogs" and nothing is turning up. Can you help me? Is this a serious disorder? My dog seems playful and happy when he is awake. He does sleep a lot, but isn't that normal? Also, a few days after the surgery, another small mole exactly like the one that was removed has started to grow only 5 inches from the original mole location. My vet said he is not concerned about this new growth. The moles seem to grow fairly quickly, though. I groom my dog often and notice any bumps or lumps almost as soon as they appear. My dog is up-to-date on all inoculations including lime disease and does take a pill for heart worm and fleas. I realize that you cannot give a diagnosis without an examination, but any information or idea of why thick blood is a problem or what could cause this could be would be extremely helpful. And what do you make of the pink moles? Thank you so very much for your time, Addie Au |
| Dear Ms. Au:
I'm not sure I know what your vet means by blood that is "too thick". There is a rare disorder termed polycythemia in which an animal or person has an abnormally elevated red bloodcell count. I doubt that your dog has it. There are situations where an animals serum proteins may be higher than normal and if they are very high it can significantly alter the the blood's viscosity (thickness). The most likely causes of this situation in a young dog would be one of a variety of infectious diseases. I don't get the sense from your message that your dog is acting ill. The pathology report from the lab should identify the skin growth removed from your pet. Fatty growths develop under the skin but do not to my knowledge affect the skin itself. Your vet should be willing to explain any problems he thinks may be afflicting your pet. If he refuses or if you aren't satisfied with his explanations you should seek a second opinion. You can request copies of your dog's records along with any lab reports. If you wish you can e-mail the lab reports to us and we will give any input we can in the absence of an examination. |
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