Leukemia

We recently took our 6 year old German Pointer into the vet for a routine exam.  They decided to do a full blood workup because he had not had this done before.  They called back to say that his wbc are 86,000 and his lymphocytes are 71,000.  He does not have swollen glands, so they diagnosed him with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.  They suggested chemo twice a month.  We were a bit shocked when they called, as our dog is full of energy and looks great.  Do you suggest seeing an oncologist before starting chemo?  Could the high wbc and lymphocyte counts be attributed to something other than leukemia?  We have noticed that every few weeks he will throw up once or twice, but I 'm not sure if that is relevant as it seems a lot of dogs do that.  Any feedback appreciated.  I'm not certain what our next step should be.  

[vet_tech428]

I highly recommend a second opinion by a veterinary oncologist.  I have been a vet tech for almost 20 years.  I would only let a specialist treat my dog for ANY type of cancer.  There may be other reasons for the vomiting (may or may not be related). One single blood test should not be used as a sole means of diagnosis.  If your vet has a problem giving you the referral to the specialist go to another vet in your area.

[lmf17]

Thank you for the advice.  I talked to our vet and we have been referred to a Speciality Clinic - specifically, someone certified in internal medicine.  In your opinion, would they be qualified to handle a possible leukemia case?  There is only one board certified oncologist in our area and they are pretty far away.  However, I will make the drive if an internal medicine specialist isn't adequate.