Tidbit's Troubles

Poor Tidbit started feeling sick a couple of weeks ago. At first we thought it was an upper respiratory infection, picked up at the adoption center from another rescue dog. He snorted and "reverse sneezed" several times a day, and didn't want to play with Darby anymore. He began snoring more than usual at night, and finally we noticed his nose was very congested even in the day time. When his inner eyelids began to show, we knew he was getting worse instead of better. On the day of his vet appointment, we noticed a pinkish tinge to the irises of his eyeballs, and a slight haze. He was bleeding into his eyes. My stomach lurched with dread.

His vet feared the worst: she suspected a relapse of tick fever, causing immune mediated hemolytic anemia, a grave condition where the immune system attacks the platelets in the blood, so the blood no longer clots. She drew blood for tests, and sent us home with doxycycline for the assumed relapse of tick fever, drops for the inflammation of his nose and eyes, and prednisone to suppress his immune system's attack on his own blood. She said we would know in a few days if the medication was helping; if he got worse instead of better, his prognosis was very poor.

A few days later, his breathing seemed a little bit easier, and his eyes a little bit clearer. His vet called with some puzzling news: according to Tidbit's blood work, his platelets were just fine. She decided the blood in his eyes was probably due to vasculitis, a condition that can cause small blood vessels to rupture. This meant his situation was less dire; he was no longer in immanent danger of dying. She thought the nasal congestion might be connected to swollen blood vessels as well. She told us to reduce his prednisone dosage by three quarters, and continue with the other medication.

Several days later, his congestion was as bas as ever; a week later, his eyes were just as bad again, too. Off to the vet again, who added another antibiotic, in case of secondary infection, and restored the prednisone to its original dosage. Let's hope a few days of the new regimen will ease his suffering. I miss his happy, prancing "Tidbit dance".