Murphy is a healthy 6 year old golden retriever and the heart of the family. When Murphy started acting lethargic and not eating we started becoming concerned and on Sunday he started coughing up blood. Murphy was taken to the vet where they ran some basic tests as well as bloodwork. The doctor cleared him to be "clinically healthy". Later that day Murphy started again coughing up more blood and was immediately taken to Tufts in Walpole. A few hours later he was diagnosed with a disease called Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, ITP for short. This condition is most likely the result of a tick bourse disease but we will know more when his blood panel comes back. Murphy will spend the next 4-5 days at Tufts receiving IV antibiotics in the ICU. Once his platelets start returning to normal he will be on a steroid treatment for 6-8 months to continue the healing process. During this time he will need frequent office visits to check his platelet levels, starting at every week and gradually tapering off over the course of 6 months. So far the cost for this treatment is at $5,000. The vets at Tufts have been amazing and all agree this is the best course of action for Murphy and the best promise that he will go on to live a long healthy life after this incident. Without this treatment, euthansia would have been the only option and one we were not willing to entertain. Those of you who know Murphy, know what a special boy he is to us and we appreciate your support and positive healing thoughts for him.