Diagnosing Sepsis in Dogs
If you suspect that your dog has developed sepsis, an immediate visit to your veterinarian is necessary. A full physical examination and patient history will be obtained prior to your veterinarian running diagnostic tests. A complete blood count, serum chemistry panel, urinalysis, and blood culture sample may be obtained. A fever and increased white blood cell count, respiratory rate, and heart rate are indicators that your dog has sepsis, but finding the root cause and initial location of the infection may require more testing.
Depending on what your veterinarian finds during their physical examination, X-rays may also be taken. A CT scan, MRI, ultrasounds, ECG readings, and other tests may be recommended based on where your veterinarian thinks the sepsis originated.
Your veterinarian may put your dog on antibiotics even before sepsis is confirmed as the diagnosis, as delaying antibiotic treatments can greatly decrease the survival rate when dealing with sepsis. They will likely begin by taking a blood sample to be examined in the laboratory, then immediately starting IV antibiotics to fight the infection as soon as possible.
Depending on the cause of the sepsis, surgery may be needed, but IV fluids and antibiotics will be administered regardless of where the sepsis originated. IV fluids can be given to your dog to increase its blood pressure in addition to medications that increase blood flow to major organs. Various medications to treat different types of illnesses that may result in sepsis may also be used alongside oxygen therapy.
What Is Sepsis?
Sepsis is also known as septicemia, and it occurs when bacteria or other toxins enter the bloodstream, cause inflammation, and arent removed by the liver (thus, not leaving the body). Bacteremia, on the other hand, is simply the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream, but this bacteria is quickly removed. If bacteria sticks around in the bloodstream instead of being filtered by the liver, sepsis can occur. Because a dog with sepsis is circulating bacteria throughout its body, this bacteria can settle in one or multiple parts of the body. This causes severe and serious infections. Thankfully, sepsis is less common than bacteremia, but any dog showing symptoms should have a veterinary exam as soon as possible.
Loss of Appetite With Vomiting or Diarrhea
A decrease or loss of appetite is usually accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea, and these are also common symptoms seen in dogs with sepsis due to the infection and inflammation that the body is fighting.