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Jaundice question

Published on: December 09, 2022 • By: doglover0504 · In Forum: Dogs
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doglover0504
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December 09, 2022 at 07:32pm
My dog has been on antibiotics (doxy 100mg 2x daily 2.5caps) for about 10 days now. He was experiencing pain in moving, not eating/drinking, blood shot eyes, fever, dark urination, and very small rabbit like poops. His eyes started turning a yellowish tint after starting the antibiotic and I was curious if it could be the healing from when his eyes were bloodshot or if it is jaundice. I took him to the vet 3x. They ran his blood test and everything came out normal besides a slight higher than normal WBC count and they also checked for Lyme disease which was negative. They have no clue what caused him to fall sick so sudden but the antibiotics have helped getting him moving and not in pain. I have attached a picture of his eyes currently. I did go ahead and schedule him a vet appt for tomorrow morning but I’m worried. 3228366E-A9A9-4E0E-A2EC-81D64BFDA2A0
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Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
December 09, 2022 at 07:45pm
Hello!  I'm pleased that you have an appointment booked but if your dog is lethargic or getting worse, it might be that the situation is getting worse and there is always the chance that an emergency situation develops.  Im not saying this to worry you, just to remind you that if this is a concern then you can always call your vets' emergency team for triage.
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Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
December 09, 2022 at 08:00pm
We don't comment on pictures, but might be interested in some general facts about jaundice.  Yellow 'jaundice' pigment (bilirubin) is a breakdown product of red blood cells and there is always a little bit in the blood, because red blood cells are always dying off and being replaced.  However, the liver breaks the yellow chemical down further and then it is carried out of the body.   Jaundice can be seen for a lot of reasons.  One is the exccessive breakdown of red blood cells (anaemia), which can reduce Oxygen carrying capacity of the body and make patients very tired.  A drip is often helpful in such sitautions - the RBC numbers go lower because they are more dilute, but the dilution helps carry them to where they need to go and can be lifesaving.  Depending on the reason for the reduction in red blood cells, a lot more treatment can be needed. Another reason is if the liver is not breaking down the the broken red blood cells fast enough, indicating a problem in the liver.  Rarely, the blood and the liver steps have gone well, but the pigment can't be disposed of by the normal route (in the urine) and builds up.  The first job of a vet is to work out whether jaundice is prehepatic (before the liver), hepatic (connected to the liver) or post hepatic.  I hope that something here is helpful or interesting.
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Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
December 10, 2022 at 12:54pm
Meanwhile, please run these symptoms by your vet.
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