# Has anyone.....



## Greg Williams (Aug 5, 2007)

..... had any experience with DIC? 
After workig my lab (Charlie) sun. he became very ill. Vomiting and diarrhea. I though maybe heat exhaustion or even heat stroke. So I took him to the emergency vet. I was told he had symptoms for DIC, but not for heat stroke which the vet found odd b/c DIC is usually found in dogs who have had heat stroke due to being locked in a car on extremly hot days. Apparently Charlie's red blood cell count is very high, his blood platelettes very low, and his kidney enzymes are very high. Charlie's had two plasma transfusions and I'm told he's doing better but still not out of the woods. I gave the go ahead to do an ultra-sound so they can try to determin if the problem lies in the kidneys. after the ultra sound results (Tom. morning) are in I will determine my next course of action (If I should continue treatment or have him PTS). Charlie's my boy and my "FUN" dog as I don't expect anything out of him but to go get birds when I shoot them so $$$'s not the issue, just his quality of life. Just trying to get an idea as to what I'm in for and what to expect.


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

Greg, 

I have heard of DIC, but not ever witnessed it. 

I just wanted to say, good luck with him and I hope you hear good news.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Greg Williams said:


> ..... had any experience with DIC?
> After workig my lab (Charlie) sun. he became very ill. Vomiting and diarrhea. I though maybe heat exhaustion or even heat stroke. So I took him to the emergency vet. I was told he had symptoms for DIC, but not for heat stroke which the vet found odd b/c DIC is usually found in dogs who have had heat stroke due to being locked in a car on extremly hot days. Apparently Charlie's red blood cell count is very high, his blood platelettes very low, and his kidney enzymes are very high. Charlie's had two plasma transfusions and I'm told he's doing better but still not out of the woods. I gave the go ahead to do an ultra-sound so they can try to determin if the problem lies in the kidneys. after the ultra sound results (Tom. morning) are in I will determine my next course of action (If I should continue treatment or have him PTS). Charlie's my boy and my "FUN" dog as I don't expect anything out of him but to go get birds when I shoot them so $$$'s not the issue, just his quality of life. Just trying to get an idea as to what I'm in for and what to expect.


Well, I understand that DIC also commonly accompanies hemangiosarcoma.

I believe that DIC that does not accompany heat stroke would have a poor prognosis..... even less hopeful than heat stroke. I think that DIC is a derangement of the body's clotting system (hyper-coagulation, I guess you could call it); it will affect all organs.

I think you're going to have a very tough day tomorrow. I'm so sorry. I hope that the preliminary diagnosis was incorrect.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Greg Williams said:


> ...... Just trying to get an idea as to what I'm in for and what to expect.


Most dogs with DIC die of pulmonary or renal failure.

Some causes could be hemangiosarcoma, sepsis, immune hemolytic anemia, electrocution, heatstroke, pancreatitis. 

The treatment of dogs with DIC is aimed at doing this:

Stopping the intravascular coagulation
Maintaining blood supply to the organs
Preventing complications from organs failing


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

I hope that you did want honesty. I think you did.

I hope you will post back.

I'll be thinking about you both.


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## Hil Harrison (Mar 29, 2006)

I hope Charlie will be ok Gregg........its always a long wait for results even if its a few hrs , it seems like weeks. Hope good news comes back


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Logged on as soon as I got up. I hope there is good news this morning.


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

Connie, 
Do you have some links on DIC? 
I researched it a bit and found some, but you always seem to have great ones.  

I like to keep bookmarks on stuff like that as well. 

Thanks


I hope there is good news this morning as well.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Carol Boche said:


> Connie,
> Do you have some links on DIC?
> I researched it a bit and found some, but you always seem to have great ones.
> 
> ...


I'm sure I do. I looked in vet med books (like Merck). I'll link you to what I have bookmarked.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation:

http://www.vspn.net/vspnsearch/aow/dic.htm

http://www.addl.purdue.edu/newsletters/1999/spring/dic.shtml

http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/ajvr.2000.61.393?cookieSet=1&journalCode=ajvr

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10496131&dopt=AbstractPlus

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cach...ascular+Coagulation&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=11&gl=us


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

Many thanks Connie.....I did not see any of those. However I talked to my vet today and he is going to order me some medical books that he uses so that I can add those to my Library. 
It was a chunk of change, but IMHO, well worth the cost. 

I will post the names and costs of each book when they arrive if people are interested.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Carol Boche said:


> Many thanks Connie.....I did not see any of those. However I talked to my vet today and he is going to order me some medical books that he uses so that I can add those to my Library.
> It was a chunk of change, but IMHO, well worth the cost.
> 
> I will post the names and costs of each book when they arrive if people are interested.


I will be interested. I have a good collection, but that kind of book is pretty much like electronics: by the time it comes out, it's outdated.


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## Greg Williams (Aug 5, 2007)

Sorry it took me so long to get back. Just a very busy day!
Things are looking a little better today. His red blood cells were so concentrated it wouldn't register. Today his red blood cells are still a litte elevated but near normal. His plateletes are still low but not nearly as low as yesterday. The ultra sound revealed a discolored liver. The discoloration could be as simple as an infection, but is commonly seen in dogs with cerrhosis or even cancer. The vet doesn't seem to think it's either of the last two. They want to stick him in the liver to collect some cells and see what's going on but can't b/c of his plateletes being so low. So they ant to ive it 24-48 hrs and if everything returns to normal then they'll perform the test and hopefully find out what's wrong with Charlie. 
I'll give more info as I am updated!


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Greg, this is MUCH better news than owners facing DIC usually get, and I'm so glad.

Please DO post updates. 

If there is actually a trigger for DIC that can be removed or alleviated (which there usually is not), then DIC can be stabilized and turned around. 

Having the vet NOT see the cancer that is so frequently the trigger seems like really positive news.

Hang in there.


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

Well, sounds like things are looking up a bit. One day at a time it sounds like. 
I hope his next tests turn out well. 

Thanks for the update Greg. I had been wondering about it off and on throughout the day actually......


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## Hil Harrison (Mar 29, 2006)

Good news so far then Gregg and yes please keep the board posted. Everyone is backing you and Charlie here for the good news.


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## Pauline Michels (Sep 1, 2006)

Been checking on Charlie daily. Thanks for the update...we're hoping for the best.


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## Greg Williams (Aug 5, 2007)

Just got a call from the vet about 10mins ago. All his blood levels are just about normal again. Charlie's plateletes are still low, but slowly climbing. He's acting a lot like himself again and eating like he's starving (Ate a little yesterday, since sat. before that). 
Anyway, I am going to pick him up after I tend to the masses (mutts). Vet said give him about 3 days then bring him in for a platelete check again. 
Thanks everyone for your thoughts and well wishes and just being there! Greatly appreciated! OK, now I can go from being sappy back to being a man!!! SOMEONE, get me a beer!!! A MANLY beer!!!! lol
Thanks again everyone!


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

YAY!!!! Charlie gets to go home....   

Thanks Greg and good luck. That is wonderful news.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Greg Williams said:


> Just got a call from the vet about 10mins ago. All his blood levels are just about normal again. Charlie's plateletes are still low, but slowly climbing. He's acting a lot like himself again and eating like he's starving (Ate a little yesterday, since sat. before that).
> Anyway, I am going to pick him up after I tend to the masses (mutts). Vet said give him about 3 days then bring him in for a platelete check again.
> Thanks everyone for your thoughts and well wishes and just being there! Greatly appreciated! OK, now I can go from being sappy back to being a man!!! SOMEONE, get me a beer!!! A MANLY beer!!!! lol
> Thanks again everyone!


Wow!

I gotta tell you that your first post made me read a LOT on the subject of DIC, and you and Charlie are VERY lucky. Charlie must be in good general health and a fighter besides. But the platelet check and the appetite revival are absolutely the right signs! Wow! I got tears in my eyes when I read this post; I guess I hadn't quite realized how depressing the DIC sites and articles had been.

Would a MANLY beer be something like a stout? Probably not a lite, right?


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## Greg Williams (Aug 5, 2007)

I'm Irish so let's go with Killians or anything Belgian! lol Thanks again guys and gals


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## Hil Harrison (Mar 29, 2006)

wow thats great news Jeff for you en Charlie yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee


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## Hil Harrison (Mar 29, 2006)

Hey Greg....hows Charlie doing? We are a number of days forward now since the last few posts. Hope all is well there.


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