13/05/2024
Congratulations to Teddy, our Brave dog of the Month for April!
Teddy was rushed in to the clinic after he became very lethargic and began vomiting blood. When he arrived he was very weak and his breathing was laboured. We also saw that his gums were very pale suggesting he was very anaemic. When we clipped away some of Teddy's fur to collect a blood sample we found several bruises on his skin.
All of theses symptoms suggested Teddy's blood had lost its ability to clot, causing him to bleed internally in many different places, including into his lungs which was why he was having difficulty breathing. His red blood cell percentage (PCV), which should normally be between 35% and 50%, had dropped to just 20% because of the blood loss.
There are several things that can cause a sudden bleeding disorder like Teddy's, but the most likely was that he had eaten rat bait. Most rat baits prevent the body from being able to recycle Vitamin K, which is an important component of the blood clotting process. It takes a few days for the vitamin K that is already in an animal's body to be used up, so it is likely Teddy ate the bait at least 2-3 days before he became sick. His owners are not sure how he managed to get access to it.
We immediately started treatment with vitamin K injections while we waited for lab tests to confirm our suspicions. The next day we received results that confirmed Teddy's blood clotting was delayed in a way that was consistent with severe rat bait toxicity. However, we also found that his PCV had dropped to 16%. Any number below 20% usually means a blood transfusion is needed. We began the process of finding a donor and preparing for the transfusion, but Teddy surprised us. When we tested his blood again that afternoon, the PCV had shot up to 25%!
From then on, Teddy continued to recover quickly and was able to go home the next day to continue his treatment with vitamin K tablets at home. In recognition of his bravery, Teddy has received a commemorative bandanna and a free Bravecto flea & tick chew.