July 24, 2024

I’d posted earlier on Cat’s uneventful side effects after her first chemo treatment.

Not so fast.

For dogs undergoing chemo, it’s recommended that they have a Complete Blood Count (CBC) test every week. We took her to our local vet in Chapel Hill for a quick blood draw the week after chemo. All was fine. 

But when I took her back this  week, we were startled to find out that her white blood cell count had plummeted — her neutrophil numbers were just a fraction of low-end normal. This meant her immune system was severely compromised, rendering her dangerously vulnerable to infection.

I feel like an complete a-hole for taking her swimming and to play with other dogs — she could’ve easily contracted gosh-knows-what. The vet put her on an antibiotic as a prophylaxisis — and we basically have to keep her in a bubble till her numbers recover. All doggie play-dates canceled until further notice. No more chemo in the interim, either. 

Update: Her WBC numbers recovered the following week, but if we decide to proceed with chemo, she will need to have a lower dose from here on out.

Doggie play-dates back on the calendar!