As some of you already know, our Roscoe has been diagnosed with Polycythemia Vera, a rare blood disorder in which the bone marrow makes too many red blood cells. We discovered this "by accident" when we took him to the vet 2 weeks ago because he was drinking a lot of water.
After a barrage of tests, the vet ruled out other diseases that could also cause a red blood cell increase as a symptom. So then we turned our focus to getting Roscoe on a maintenance plan to get his red blood cell count within a healthy range and hold it there throughout his lifetime. Much like diabetes, as long as his blood count is "balanced" he will remain healthy. Achieving this balance will be tricky at first, but we hope that after a few months we will find the magic formula and then just continue to rinse and repeat.
Roscoe's maintenance plan includes giving him a pill called Hydroxyurea 3x per week. This medication will inhibit his bone marrow from making excess red blood cells. The trick is finding the right dose that will not negatively impact his platelets or white blood cells. In addition to medication, we will also have his blood checked regularly, and he will give blood and receive fluids on a regular basis to thin things out internally.
Throughout the past 2 weeks, Roscoe has been shaved, poked and prodded more times than...ah, forget it, there is nothing politically correct that I can insert here... Anyway, he has been very brave and remains in good butt-shaking spirits. Chad and I are in it for the long haul with our Roscoe- joking last night while watching Biden speak that "we will not rest until every dog in America has health care!"
Below you can see him resting in his favorite spot in the house- his new dog bed, and riding to the vet in the back seat of the beast. I will post updates as we learn more.
