Low Platelet Count

Dear Dr.
Shocking news today after receiving CBC on my Dog Dusty, 5 years old. His platelets were 59. He has always had normal platelet count. Everything else was normal. Yesterday the vet said he looked very good, he was not sick that could be seen. He has not had any change in behaviour. I had taken  him in to look at a small cyst on his eye. Dusty has a history of tummy problems that were never completely diagnosed, but lipase has been high since he was a year old, and stays in upper range all the time now, in the 600s. He has some gurgling and is relieved by Pepcid. Vet suspected chronic pancreatitus (pancreatitis), maybe some form of IBD, maybe ulcer. Morning pain episodes for the last three years on occasion, but lately has not had any episodes for a couple months.

For low platelet count, vet said to come back in a week and test again. I am worried that we should not wait. Would a platelet count be that low and then suddenly go back to normal in a week? Blood test in November showed normal platelets. Could an ulcer bleeding cause this? There is no evidence of blood in stool, either red or black.

Please give me your thoughts on this? I am SO worried. If he has immune-related problem and that is normally treated with steroids, how can we do this when he has such a sensitive tummy?
Thank you SO much.
Terry and Dusty

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

Platelet counts can be low due to platelet clumping.  In other words many platelets can be counted as one in some testing machines, and this is very common. That is why your vet suggested waiting a week and retesting.  

Other causes of low platelets include Anaplasmosis, and immune-mediated or auto-immune thrombocytopenia,  internal blood loss due to gastric-duodenal ulceration, tumor or other infectious disease, and trauma, amongst others.

If not already performed, have your vet test for Anaplasmosis.  Additional blood tests include an ANA and Coombs test.  

[terryann99]

Dear Dr, Thank you so much for your response. WOuldn't clumping be evident at the lab who tested the sample? Results said "Verified by repeat anaylsis"  Does this mean they tested for clumping already?

We are running bloodwork again today to see what it says. What is Anaplasmosis?

Terry