Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Cadence has just had her second round of chemo. All the blood work has come back fine, but on several occasions she has had pale gums when we have taken her for walks. I looked it up on the Internet and it said it could be a circulation problem or a sign of internal bleeding. When I took her for chemo on Wednesday I mentioned it to the doctor and he said it wasnt a side effect of chemo but we would take a wait and see approach to it. He checked her belly and said it wasnt bloated which is a symptom of internal bleeding. He said her belly felt fine. Today when I got home, I checked her gums, and they were really pale again. We had not been on a walk and she was not running around the house exerting herself. Now Im in a panic. Im gonna wait 30 minutes to see if the color comes back and if not call the vet. I was just wondering if anyone else had experienced this.
“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace.” ― Milan Kundera
Thanks for the update, glad to hear all is well with Cadence!
Jerry did not have chemo but during his one year checkup a vet described capillary refill time, how to check for it and what it means, starting at about 2:25 in this video...
Jerry Parties on 1 Year Amputation Anniversary with a Clean Bill of Health
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Michele. I haven't had any personal experience with pale gums; however, I also thought pale gums were a sign of internal bleeding. Whenever one of my dogs is sick, I'm always checking their gums like a crazy lady! I agree; if they don't get their color back soon, I'd give the vet a call. Good luck, and let us know what you find out! Glad to hear Cadence is doing well, otherwise!
Diane
Did your vet do a CBC before chemo? This test includes a red cell and platelet count which will tell you if she is anemic.
PAM
Her gums are finally back to a pinkish color. The vet did do the blood work before he gave her the chemo, and it all came back fine. That's why I'm a bit alarmed. We go in on Saturday for the 10 day after chemo blood work. In the meantime, I will keep an eye on her gums to see how often it happens. She is playful, eating and drinking so hopefully all is well. Thanks for the responses. It puts me at ease. Sometimes I think I'm being to paranoid, but I guess I'm just being cautious and overly protective of my baby.
“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace.” ― Milan Kundera
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