Jana
,@dawgblogger
0
Friends
Can rawhide chews contribute to incontinence?
First, To Review For Benefit Of Others Reading This…
Question for Dr. Krista; sorry, complicated question(?)
First, to review for benefit of others reading this question:
Patient: Cookie
Rottweiler, spayed female, 2 years old
Presented with lethargy, anorexia, vomiting and diarrhea (threw up only twice and one time diarrhea, then taken to vet, given antiemetics and antibiotics; diagnosed with pancreatitis; getting better since – this was Monday)
During exam foreign material found in stool (grain and corn; we think she got into the horse feed) painful cranial abdomen, low and large bowel diarrhea, enlarged submandibular nodes – this part worries me because these were temporarily enlarged not long ago; resolved quickly, though)
As I’m reviewing the blood results, there are things I could understand as being consistent with digestive distress/pancreatitis but some which are concerning me, namely the globulin and lymphocyte levels, even though they are not extremely low but low nonetheless.
Beside the cPL which is clear in its meaning, the free T4 is low – I assume this is what is meant by not testing for hypothyroidism in ill animals, because the thyroid hormones would be low with any disease process? Is that correct?
I would figure that the ALT/unhappy liver enzymes would also be consistent with such insult to the body, is that correct? And I imagine same would apply to bilirubin in a situation of digestive upset?
The values that concern me are the globulin and the lymphocytes, particularly together with the "easily aggravated" sub mandibular lymph nodes in the mix, particularly as it seems that lymphopenia would be present with both CPV and lymphoma … ? I’d assume that a) Cookie was recently vaccinated for CPV and is improving too rapidly to think CPV? Lymphoma has been on my afraid mind since the first time they were found enlarged.
It also says, though, that lymphopenia could be a result of underactive glands (the source doesn’t say which ones) so would that perhaps have to do with the lowered thyroid function during the digestive distress?
Didn’t find much on low globulins, other than immunodeficiency types of situations, which doesn’t seem to apply. What is the "life-span" of a globulin, and if short, would the low globulins have to do with the unhappy liver?
Can you, please confirm about the free T4 and talk to me about the globulin and more importantly the lymphocytes?
Blood results attached.
Comments
collected Sample Via Free Flow @ 7:00am
Odor: Urinoid
Color: Yellow
Clarity…
What are you reading from this urinalysis?
collected sample via Free Flow @ 7:00am
Odor: Urinoid
Color: Yellow
Clarity: Clear
STICK
Leukocytes: 1+
Nitrite: Positive
pH: 6 pH
Protein: 2+
Glucose: Negative
Ketones: Negative
Urobilinogen: Negative
Bilirubin: Negative
Blood: 3+
SEDIMENT
Specific Gravity: 1.024
WBC: 1-2 per HPF.
RBC: 3-4 per HPF.
Bacteria: None seen
Casts: None seen
Epithelial cells: 2 per HPF.
Crystals: None seen
Other: Granular debris 1+
Comments
-
Krista Magnifico Hello!!
Well, let’s see..
I in general do not use the stick information for too much other than the glucose, ketones, bilirubin, and pH. The rest of the info is far more accurate if read under the microscope.
I want to see white blood cells, red blood cells, and bacteria, casts, cells on the urine sediment under the microscope, and not read it on the stick.
By the numbers listed above there the RBCs (red blood cells) and the WBCs (white blood cells) are within normal ranges.
But the specific gravity is a little lower than it should be. Especially if it is a first morning sample (it says 7 am, so I am guessing it is). The specific gravity is highest in the first morning sample because the urine is the most concentrated then.
In general we want dogs specific gravity to be 1.030 or greater. If you get serial first morning samples of less than 1.030 ( I would recommend taking it again over the next few mornings to check the specific gravity), then I would check a full blood work, to look for any signs of renal impairment/insufficiency.
I don’t usually put too much weight on the stick, but if the stick says 3+ blood, check the sediment over the next few days also.
Other diagnostics to consider for any urinary issues are ultrasound, radiographs, and urine cultures.
I hope that this helps.
Thanks Jana for your question..
Best wishes to you and Jasmine.
Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com -
Jana Post author Our vet says it indicates possible infection, so we’re going on from that. Yes, it was an early morning sample, but she goes outside at night also; recently she started the habit of going to poop around 3AM so she pees then as well.
Her symptoms are very ambiguous, I had the urinalysis done really on a feeling.
-
Jana Post author Urinalysis yesterday; seems issue has resolved. Specific gravity not as high as she typically has but 1.038. Rest is clean. So it looks like it was just UTI after all. Best disguised UTI I could imagine.
I will let Dr. Krista address your specific blood questions. Were you interested in the holistic approaches to evaluating blood work? Also, not being able to tolerate an occasional eating splurge is considered an early warning sign that a dog is not completely healthy, so there would be many things to do at this point.
I wonder if Cookie has had prior digestive issues?