Samson is 13 and was diagnosed with pulmonary bullae a year ago, when two of the bullae punctured his lungs allowing air to fill his check cavity. I put him on an herbal therapy (vet offered no traditional treatment) and took him in 3x/week to have air evacuated from his chest to keep his lungs from collapsing. After a couple of months the bullae closed up and he has been on herbs since to maintain his health.
Last month he began acting like he felt bad and having difficulty breathing. I took him to the vet again and his blood test showed white cell count over 59,000 (under 19,000 is normal). Suspecting a tumor might have been the cause of the bullae last year, the vet did a biopsy of tissue around the lungs (in the chest cavity). Biopsy did not show tumor cells, only high inflammation. He has been on an antibiotic for 12 days (baytril), but today his count was even higher at 90,000 (the highest my vet has ever seen).
My vet suggested that an ultrasound might show something causing the inflammation (again, possibly a tumor) and that would suggest changing course of the treatment to prednisone (anti-inflammatory steroid) or we could just try another antibiotic (clavemax). I brought him home with the antibiotic but am now thinking about the ultrasound. At 13 everyone agrees that he's too old and frail for surgery. He is still wanting his "treats" and drinking water, but at this high of a white cell count I'm not certain how long he can fight this. Anyone have any experience with this?
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