18/11/2025
Meet Pablo!
Pablo came in to see us because his mum noticed he was not himself, not eating for 24 hours, and not moving around much. On assessment, he was lethargic, vomiting, sore abdomen on palpation, and had a fever of unknown origin. Pablo was admitted, given antibiotics, put on IV fluids, and monitored for the day to see if this could bring his fever down. Unfortunately, this was unsuccessful, and he needed to stay with us for longer and further testing. Pablo was a mystery case for a while, stumping all our vets with what could be wrong with him, causing him to be off colour with a high fever, and he wasn’t responding to any treatment. Blood tests showed leukopenia (low white blood cells) and thrombocytopenia (low platelets). Giant platelets were visible on the blood smear. Giant platelets occur when there is increased destruction of platelets. After further testing, our vets ruled out every other possibility and made the decision it could be two possible outcomes. Either sepsis or immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, but had to rule out either one, as treating the wrong one could cause adverse effects leading to possible life-threatening issues. With more investigating, it was decided that it was more likely to be IMT and we ruled out sepsis, so it was decided to then proceed with starting immunosuppressive doses of steroids for IMT. Thankfully, Pablo reacted well to this treatment, and it was exactly what helped Pablo start to be his bright, playful, and smoochy self.
Pablo is now happy and recovering well at home.
What is immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (IMT)?
This refers to the immune-mediated destruction of platelets. The immune system incorrectly targets circulating, healthy platelets, therefore, resulting in low platelet counts (thrombocytopenia). Platelets are responsible for clotting blood and preventing bleeding.
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