Management of canine primary immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP)*

Management of canine primary immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP)

Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia can be a life threatening disease requiring patients to be aggressively managed and supported. Like all haematologic values, the measured platelet count is a balance between production and loss. Loss can be consumptive (i.e. used as part of the coagulation cascade) or destructive, mediated by the immune system. Platelets are produced from megakaryocytes in the bone marrow. Their normal circulating life span is a little over one week. Senescent (aged) platelets are removed from the circulation and phagocytosed, particularly within the spleen.