So previously I had posted that I was having a tick problem. Well, thankfully, I got rid of them from Lycus, but due to how many he had, I took him to the vet today to get tested for any diseases. I had noticed he has been a lot lazier than usual and that really scared me and pushed me to make his appointment faster even though he is still eating/drinking normal.

Anyways, I told the vet about the ticks so they did blood work and checked for lyme disease, heart worms, etc.. and it turns out he is actually severely anemic. :-(

He has a really low red blood count and that explains why he's been so lethargic lately. I feel so guilty for not putting tick preventatives early on and taking care of him faster.

The vet prescribed Prednisone 20mg to help with the anemia and also Doxycycline 100mg just incase he got a tick born disease. Even though his tests came out negative, he said that he could just not be producing enough anti bodies due to the anemia so it's more of a just-in-case.

I feel so bad for my poor little guy

He has a check up in 2 weeks, so hopefully things will start getting better soon.

If anyone has any tips on things to feed him that might help him recover faster, I would highly appreciate it. Thanks!

Poor Lycus I hope he feels better soon. I found a tick on Link about a week after we went hiking, I had felt so bad that it stayed on him that long as well. They're hard to get rid of!

I have to ask - what on earth will Prednisone do for Anemia? Anemia is low iron. Why did the vt not suggest iron supplements or more red meat?

Sorry he's sick

Megan, yes they're very troublesome!

Megan B., I believe he said that the Prednisone was to help his immune system stop destroying so many red blood cells?
What are your thoughts on this?
Also, do you have any ideas on good iron supplements that I can give him?

Thanks you guys both for your concern.

I don't like when prednisone is given without serious consideration. It can cause many issue with the system - prednisone for anemia is usually only given its autoimmune related I'd suggest this:

http://www.vetdepot.com/liqui-tinic-4x-flavored-vitamin-and-iron-supplement-for-dogs-and-cats-2-oz.html

It's safe, easy to use and I know people who have had success.

Sorry, I'm a skeptic about Prednisone after it cause thyroid issues in a family dog.

Sorry to hear about Lycus.

mbarnard0429 wrote:

I don't like when prednisone is given without serious consideration. It can cause many issue with the system - prednisone for anemia is usually only given when the immune system is struggling. I'd suggest this:

http://www.vetdepot.com/liqui-tinic-4x-flavored-vitamin-and-iron-supplement-for-dogs-and-cats-2-oz.html

It's safe, easy to use and I know people who have had success.

Sorry, I'm a skeptic about Prednisone after it cause thyroid issues in a family dog.

I really appreciate your input about the whole thing. Knowing other peoples perspectives and experiences is always a good thing and I'm glad that you've shared yours with me. This is definitely something that I will be bringing up to the vet to talk about. Also, thank you for the suggestion about the supplement. I will be ordering that as soon as possible.




Thank you Jason. I'm hoping things will turn out for the best.

I guess I'm just jaded. I hope it helps and I'm sorry if you get any grief from the vet. It's just not how I've seen it treated except in very rare cases.

Anemia isn't necessarily low iron per se, but low red blood count and/or low hemoglobin. I have trouble with anemia from time to time, and it actually used to cause problems when I was flying. My problems were all with low red blood cell count and not really low hemoglobin (hemoglobin carries the iron and oxygen in the blood). I'm not a fan of steroids either, but they are immunosupressants and if the vet thinks it's caused by infection then that would help. Internal bleeding can cause anemia too, but I doubt that would be the cause. Regardless, I hope you are able to get him feeling better quickly! Anemia sucks...

blueeyedghost wrote:

I hope you are able to get him feeling better quickly!  Anemia sucks...

Yes it definitely does! Thank you

I agree with Megan, I am surprised to see prednisone given for anemia. I would think iron. Unless they suspect an autoimmune disorder in which case they would be the recommended course. Keep us informed and I sure hope he gets better fast!

As a side note check your human pharmacy for prices for prednisone it is not an expensive drug, you may do much better getting at you own pharmacy, call for prices.

Thanks June. He actually wont be needing the Prednisone after these two weeks.
I talked to the vet and it turns out he wasn't actually iron deficient.

I actually took him for an early check up today instead of waiting until next week. Well I'm happy to say that there is A LOT of improvement. His RBC count has doubled, his temperature has gone down, and his platelet count is back to normal. The vet said that he is out of the woods of needing a blood transfusion and he is recovering well.

Asides from the increased thirst and urination from the Prednisone, he hasn't really had many side effects. I'm glad that the Prednisone is only for two weeks. I did my research on it as well and it is definitely a scary steroid, especially for long term users.

Thanks every one for your support!

I'm so glad he is doing better! I missed this thread and was wondering what was wrong when I saw your post on instagram. I hope he continues to get better!

simplify wrote:

I'm so glad he is doing better! I missed this thread and was wondering what was wrong when I saw your post on instagram. I hope he continues to get better!

Thanks! I'm really happy as well.

Yay for doing better! You take good care of Lycus.

VintageJeans wrote:

Yay for doing better!  You take good care of Lycus.  

Thanks! I'm really trying my best. He's my first dog and I'm learning a lot with him.

So I was traveling in Mexico for 3 weeks (thus my lack of activity on the forum) and my sister was caring for Lycus while I was gone. She took him to his next check up for me and thankfully things are getting better and better for him. The vet said his anemia was almost gone and he is almost back to normal. I can't express how happy this news makes me. He's eating normal now. Not as much as he used to but he is definitely eating enough. He lost quite a few pounds when he was sick so I'm just trying to make him regain them. Asides from him needing to gain weight, the vet said he had some tartar on his teeth.

I admit I've been a bad mom as far as his teeth go and haven't cleaned them. So I have a few questions. What is the best way to get rid of tartar? Do I just brush his teeth? If so, what type of toothbrush and paste do you guys recommend for dogs? Or is it something only the vet can get rid of? Thanks in advance

And here is a recent picture of him being a derp last night

Unless he has a really advanced stage of periodontis then you can absolutely reverse the plaque build up at home without the need for a cleaning by the vet. There are a number of products that can help tremendously in addition to regular brushing. Petzlife and PlaqueOff are two that I highly recommend in conjunction with at least occasional brushing with an enzymatic dog toothpaste.

Huskyluv wrote:

Unless he has a really advanced stage of periodontis then you can absolutely reverse the plaque build up at home without the need for a cleaning by the vet. There are a number of products that can help tremendously in addition to regular brushing. Petzlife and PlaqueOff are two that I highly recommend in conjunction with at least occasional brushing with an enzymatic dog toothpaste.

Thanks! It's definitely not that bad so I will check out those products.

When I got Kenzi she had horrible tartar build up. I gave her marrow bones and dentastix and her teeth have done a complete 180.