Thursday, January 24, 2008

The Dog Who Lived


UPDATE: I guess God didn't like me making hasty presumptions! Julie's latest blood test results showed a rise in red blood cell count from 12.5 to 21.5. A healthy dog's PVC count in between 35-55, so Julie has made good progress this past week. I cried tears of joy when I heard the news.

It gets better! Julie's reticulocytes (or "retics" - precursors to red blood cells) are up 11.7% over last week. A typical dog generates retics at a rate of 1-2% to replace old, dying cells. So Julie's bone marrow has kicked into overdrive to fill the void.

The doctor says Julie is no longer in guarded condition and can take leash walks, providing it isn't too cold outside. (Anemia makes it difficult to retain body heat so she has to be careful about hypothermia.) She can also climb stairs without putting excessive strain on her heart. What a relief for a worrier-mom like me!

1 comment:

A's Mom said...

A miracle dog! So glad to hear that she is doing better!! Bringing her home was the best choice!