Dog With High Monocytes, High Globulins and Joint Pain: What Could It Be?

Thank you for writing, Vicki. Poor appetite, joint pain and high globulin and monocyte levels can have several causes, so this needs a careful workup with your vet. Possibilities include tick-borne infections such as ehrlichiosis, other infections, immune-mediated (autoimmune) joint disease and, less often, some cancers.

Ehrlichiosis is spread by ticks, including the brown dog tick, and can cause low energy, poor appetite, stiffness or reluctance to walk, swollen lymph nodes and low platelet counts. Ask your vet whether a blood test for tick-borne infections, a joint fluid sample or further bloodwork would help. If a tick-borne infection is found, it is usually treated with a course of antibiotics.

Please keep your dog on year-round tick control. Our pages on Lyme disease in dogs and tick diseases in dogs have more information.

This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.