IMMUNE-MEDIATED THROMBOCYTOPENIA

In March my 11 yr old Shih Tzu had IMMUNE-MEDIATED THROMBOCYTOPENIA.  Once she recovered, the vet did not want to give her any immunizations except for the Rabies vaccine.  The new vet at the same clinic now wants to vaccinate my dog and also clean her teeth.  Is it ok to give my dog vaccines and anesthesia to clean her teeth?  Our regular vet is no longer available.  

[Thomas Dock, CVJ, Vet. Technician]

Hi Poppy, I am glad that your Shih Tzu seems to be recovering well from the IMT.

Some veterinarians are reluctant to vaccinate pets showing signs of immune mediated problems, like hemolytic anemia or thrombocytopenia due to a small study showing that dogs are more likely to have these problems within about 30-45 days of vaccination.  However, another study done several years later seemed to refute their evidence.  Personally, I think the genetics and familial history of the dog has a lot to do with any tendency to develop these issues.

I don't think anesthesia is a big concern for a recurrence of IMT.  Research that I have done didn't find any significant concerns for anesthetic drugs.  AND...if her teeth are really bad, it would really be better to fix the dental disease and stop showering the blood stream with bacteria from the mouth.

As far as vaccines go, I am sure you will get a lot of different responses, but you might post that question in the Ask A Vet expert forum.  The limited research I did from experts says that vaccination is probably not the best idea, especially if the pet has been vaccinated routinely throughout her life.