How did I find him?
As so many times things go a bit differently as I planned them. I wanted to find a dog today that I saw recently while driving with my bike. I packed a bit of meat and some bravecto and wanted to give him the so needed medicine. But when I went there I couldn´t find him. I asked a few people around there if they have seen this dog I´m looking for. But they all didn´t really know him.
Then I entered one house where a younger woman was in with her kids. I asked her and she told me I should go across the street. There is a house with a dog. So I went there and talked to the Ibu. Her husband just came home and I told them I´m looking for a sick dog. Then they pointed in the corner and I was already excited I found the dog I was looking for so I went in their house a bit more and looked around the corner and saw this tiny little old man sitting on a rustly filthy chain with some dirty bowls.
When I asked them how old he is they couldn´t even tell me (as usual). A bit overwhelmed with the situation but knowing I wanted to help him I told them I´m going to pick him up on saturday. But I wanted to get rid of the chain first. So I asked him to take it off and luckily that worked. I took the chain with me directly to make sure that he won´t be one it again.
When he got off the chain I saw he is limping and in general his conditon seems pretty bad. He also peed there and I saw his pee was a bit milky/bloody.
I went home and then felt bad that he had to wait until saturday as he is probably in pain. So I packed my cage and some pee mats and drove there again to pick him up. Luckily the owner were still home. I sent him straight to the vet and while writing this post I just got the first results:
Age and Gender:
Flip is a male dog, estimated to be around 6 to 7 years old based on his teeth.
Skin Condition:
Flip’s skin is not in good shape. He’s lost a lot of hair, and some areas of his skin have become thickened and darkened. There are also red and inflamed spots on his skin, called “hot spots.”
Mobility Issue:
Flip seems to have trouble with his right hind leg at times. After looking into it, we found that his kneecap on that leg is out of place, making it painful and difficult for him to move.
X-ray Findings:
X-rays of Flip’s hind legs and pelvis showed that there’s pressure and a kind of spinal degeneration called spondylosis in his lower back, specifically between the 2nd and 3rd lumbar vertebrae.
General Health:
Flip’s not feeling well overall. He looks pale and has a fever (temperature of 40.2°C), which usually means there’s an infection or inflammation in his body. We also found a few ticks on him, which could be bothering him and spreading diseases.
CBC (Complete Blood Count):
Severe anemia: This means there is a significant decrease in red blood cells, likely leading to fatigue and weakness.
PCV 17%: PCV stands for packed cell volume, which measures the percentage of red blood cells in the blood. A low PCV indicates anemia.
Increased white blood cells: Elevated white blood cells usually indicate an infection or inflammation.
Normal platelet count: Platelets are important for blood clotting, and a normal count suggests no clotting issues.
Blood Chemistry (Blood Chem 10):
Increased total protein and globulin: Elevated levels of these substances can indicate inflammation, infection, or other underlying health issues.
Urine Tests:
Urine sedimentation + cytology: Presence of white blood cells and bacteria in the urine, suggesting a urinary tract infection.
Urinalysis: Presence of protein in the urine (proteinuria), high pH (alkaline urine), and leukocyturia (white blood cells in urine), further indicating a urinary tract infection.
Skin Check:
Presence of yeast and bacteria on the skin, which could contribute to skin issues or infections.
Diagnosis and Treatment Plan:
The tests indicate urinary tract infections and severe anemia. Anemia could be caused by blood parasites from ticks or malnutrition.
Further observation will be done to see if the pet can urinate normally due to a spinal issue.
The vet proposes running a PCR test (polymerase chain reaction) for blood parasites, which costs 1.3 million Indonesian Rupiah (IDR).
Immediate treatment includes rehydration, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and iron injections.
The vet will monitor Flip`s appetite, urination, and bowel movements. If Flip eats, they will dispense oral medications along with deworming and tick/flea prevention.
Pee Sedimentation:
The presence of white blood cells and cocci bacteria in the urine sedimentation indicates a urinary tract infection (UTI). White blood cells are a sign of the body’s immune response to infection, while cocci bacteria are a common type of bacteria often associated with UTIs.
This finding further supports the diagnosis of a urinary tract infection as mentioned by the vet. Treating the UTI will likely involve antibiotics to clear the bacterial infection and alleviate symptoms.
If you want to help Flip´s vet bill you can donate here
