[Dailydrool] Update on Cookie the blind basset

[Pam Farris]

Thanks to all for the well wishes for Cookies surgery to remove her eyes.  Sadly Cookie may have even more going on with her than we first knew.

I dropped her at the vet yesterday to get a thorough exam and her pre operative bloodwork done.  She was scheduled to have both eyes removed, a good dental and her toebones done.  I got a call from the clinic manager a couple of hours later saying that the surgeon wanted to talk to me about Cookie, could I please hold.  Words to make your heart go thump thump.  The surgeon said that her bloodwork showed that she had almost no blood platelets which is the part of the blood that clots the blood so they don't bleed to death.  Given those blood results surgery was cancelled until we can find out why she has almost no platelets and until (and more accurately if) we can treat the problem and get her back to normal in that regard.  There are several possible causes....a tick disease is one of them although she tests negative for erlichia which is the most common one down here, but there are several others out there.  It could be something causing the immune
 system to attack and destroy the platelets and it could be a disease like the one that is found in bassets.  The bloodwork was sent off to the labs for further and more intense testing.  

In the meantime Cookie was put on antibiotics to treat it if the problem is a tick disease,  high dose steroids to stop it if the immune system is destroying them and lots of prayers if it is otherwise.  We should know more today and then she will be retested in a week to see if there has been any improvement.  In the meantime she has been put on meds for glaucoma and pain to keep her comfortable which I think she is - no face rubbing, squinting or other signs.  

This girl is just so happy - I can't believe this is happening to her.  She gives the full body wiggle and plops over to get belly rubs anytime anyone is close by.  She is still having trouble learning her way around but hopefully that will come soon.  Unfortunately there might not be the outcome we had hoped for with Cookie.  

Anyway, just wanted to update everyone.  Please sling some drool Cookies way.


Pam Farris  Basset Rescue of Florida, Inc.  www.BassetRescueFlorida.com