Reduced red blood count and high white blood count they’re staying its cancer

Mel,
I’m sorry to hear about your Beagle.

Vally is correct, when there is active autoimmune hemolysis (destruction ) of red blood cells there is often a drop in HCT / PCV immediately following a transfusion.

It’s frequent to see a high WBC count in the CBC after the diagosis of IMHA. Yes, sometimes there is an infection. But a more common and misunderstood reason is that the bone marrow responds to anemia by substantially increasing the production of reticulocytes ( immature “baby” ) blood cells. These reticulocytes are pushed out into circulation earlier than normal. They are larger than mature RBC and contain RNA from their growth stage. The size and the reticulated appearance inside the cell makes it look pretty much like a WBC. But in a few days they mature and drop their RNA and look like the smaller concave RBCs.

Automated laser analyzers can have a problem identifying this difference. So usually a vet will do a test called differential to see if this is the case. This attempts to distinguish the reticulocytes from WBC.

Another reason for high WBC count is some sort of disease process causing a systemic inflammatory condition. This might be something like pancreatitis or an inflammatory digestive disease like colitis for instance or even allergies, parasites.

Let me reassure you that rarely is it cancer. Vets are too quick to mention this to owners immediately without first doing some important diagnostics. Yes, a few dogs do develop profound leukemia but I just haven’t seen it that often. And there is generally an extraordinarily high value of WBC that is very diagnostic for leukemia. It’s not usually a puzzle that it might be this.

In older male dogs there are other things I think of first such as tumors (hemangiosarcoma of the spleen or heart), or some kind of digestive disorder. Pancreatitis is often seen, as are things like kidney stones plus infection, SIBO small intestine bacterial overgrowth, colitis, or other intestinal conditions. If your beagle has had a lifetime of poor stomach, this could be the cause.

Other environmental triggers can be recent overvaccinations, atopic allergies (called inhaled allergies that results in dermatitis ), bites or stings, bacterial and or viral infections, (leptospirosis comes to mind, or exposure to doggie flu or kennel cough, even parvo depending on his vaccination background. ) Food can be a trigger if you use kibble that contains bacteria, mold etc. Your vet should have done a very extensive history.

You can help us by giving a very detailed look at events from at least a month ago, but anything that sticks out as unusual is important to discuss. I would like to see the last 2 CBC and chem screens if possible, upload them on the Urgent Advice page, only 3 at a time please if they are big files.

What questions do you have for me?
My best Patrice

Mel,
This is unfortunate that your vet decided to give a 10 year old dog booster shots that he did not need and then proceed to perform a complex surgery to remove 12 teeth. This is very likely the cause of his sudden hemolytic anemia.

I have seen this a number of times. A vet gives an older dog multiple vaccines, that are not needed, that challenge their immune system and then performs a very stressful surgery at nearly the same time. In addition it is well known that the removal of teeth releases bacteria into the system leading to increased risk of infections. Your poor guy could not handle this overwhelming stress on his immune system.

On this page click on this article:
https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/canine-disease-resources
IMMUNE-MEDIATED HEMATOLOGIC DISEASE AND BONE MARROW FAILURE

Here is the abbreviated part of this article where Dr. Dodds discusses IMHA triggers:
“Immune-mediated hematologic disease is being reported with increasing frequency in animals and humans….In many cases a recent stress (e.g. vaccination; drug; chemical or toxic exposure; surgery; hormonal influence; infection; injury) could be identified as a potential triggering event within the previous 30 days.”

Please read on this page by clicking on the picture, it will open in a new tab.
2016 DODDS VACCINATION PROTOCOL FOR DOGS
https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/vaccine-resources

As you can see she recommends that after the complete puppy series is complete there should not be any boosters for core vaccines except for the legally required rabies.

This infection is most likely related to the removal of the teeth. In this review, there is a discussion concerning the relationship of bacterial diseases such as chronic abscesses which can overstimulate the immune system and the relationship to recent vaccinations that also overstimulate the immune system reaction. In other words, the tooth abscess bacterial infection combined with the over stimulation of the immune system by vaccines led to the development of IMHA.

http://veterinarycalendar.dvm360.com/controversies-diagnosing-imha-proceedings
“There is ample evidence for infectious agents to be associated with IMHA, causing parasitic (babesiosis, leishmaniasis, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis and dirofilariasis), fungal, and BACTERIAL DISEASES (leptospirosis, CHRONIC ABSCESSES, discospondylitis, pyometra, colitis, and pyelonephritis). The relationship between infection and autoimmunity may be explained by molecular mimicry. Furthermore, in limited surveys a seasonality (summer) and a temporal association between vaccination and onset of IMHA have been suggested, but since no specific vaccine has been implicated, it appears likely that vaccines enhance a smoldering immune process. Many dogs with IMHA have severe leukocytosis (with or without left shift) and also considerable serum liver enzyme elevations (prior to prednisone) suggestive of serious inflammatory processes, which may enhance the immune destruction by activating the macrophage system and the thrombotic tendency. ”

What can be done now? I’ll like to see the CBC and chem screen to get a better idea. I think it might have been better if they put him on a targeted antibiotic rather than a broad spectrum, but we are past that point now. You have no choice but to give antibiotics because of this infection and I am concerned about it.

The most important thing is to continue to suppress the immune system at this point and stop the destruction. It’s critical that this process be monitored closely to reduce risks of inappropriate clotting which is called DI C disseminated intravascular coagulation. We often see vets using low dose aspirin or targeted heparin to do this. It is an important discussion to have with the vet.

Vally can help you make up a medication chart to make this easier and perhaps she will suggest a few other things to add to his supplements.

Please keep us up to date on his daily progress. I will be thinking of you often.
my best, patrice