Georgie
Pet of the Month - March 2025
Georgie is a sweet 6-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He was in recently for his six-month wellness exam and part of the check-up includes a blood screen. Georgie had been doing well at home and there were no concerns reported. On his routine blood screen, we found Georgie’s platelet number to be very low
and the platelets were large. This can be very concerning because the primary function of platelets is to prevent and stop bleeding. A patient with low platelets may have unexplained bleeding, bruising or petechia. They may also feel bad or be lethargic. However, this was not the case with Georgie.
Georgie was happy, healthy and no bruising or bleeding was found on his exam. There is an inherited condition that can occur in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels as well as a few other breeds. A mutation of the gene causes lower platelet numbers as well as larger circulating platelets. Pets with this condition do not have a bleeding problem and the low platelet number is considered “normal”. There is a test through Auburn University that can confirm the inherited cause for macrothrombocytopenia. By confirming this with Georgie, we kept him from undergoing unneeded treatment. Georgie can continue to enjoy his walks, snuggle at home with his “mom” and play with his kitty “brother” Coco!