diff --git a/datadog/dogstatsd/base.py b/datadog/dogstatsd/base.py
index b039f1d7f..07aaefdbf 100644
--- a/datadog/dogstatsd/base.py
+++ b/datadog/dogstatsd/base.py
@@ -929,11 +929,19 @@ def _reset_telemetry(self):
         self.bytes_dropped_queue = 0
         self.bytes_dropped_writer = 0
         self.packets_sent = 0
-        self.packets_dropped = 0
         self.packets_dropped_queue = 0
         self.packets_dropped_writer = 0
         self._last_flush_time = time.time()
 
+    # Aliases for backwards compatibility.
+    @property
+    def packets_dropped(self):
+        return self.packets_dropped_queue + self.packets_dropped_writer
+
+    @property
+    def bytes_dropped(self):
+        return self.bytes_dropped_queue + self.bytes_dropped_writer
+
     def _flush_telemetry(self):
         telemetry_tags = ",".join(self._add_constant_tags(self._client_tags))
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/dogstatsd/test_statsd.py b/tests/unit/dogstatsd/test_statsd.py
index 56855146a..2b65ecb7a 100644
--- a/tests/unit/dogstatsd/test_statsd.py
+++ b/tests/unit/dogstatsd/test_statsd.py
@@ -1928,3 +1928,18 @@ def test_set_socket_timeout(self):
         statsd.set_socket_timeout(1)
         self.assertEqual(statsd.socket.timeout, 1)
         self.assertEqual(statsd.socket_timeout, 1)
+
+    def test_telemetry_api(self):
+        statsd = DogStatsd(disable_background_sender=False)
+
+        self.assertEqual(statsd.metrics_count, 0)
+        self.assertEqual(statsd.events_count, 0)
+        self.assertEqual(statsd.service_checks_count, 0)
+        self.assertEqual(statsd.bytes_sent, 0)
+        self.assertEqual(statsd.bytes_dropped, 0)
+        self.assertEqual(statsd.bytes_dropped_queue, 0)
+        self.assertEqual(statsd.bytes_dropped_writer, 0)
+        self.assertEqual(statsd.packets_sent, 0)
+        self.assertEqual(statsd.packets_dropped, 0)
+        self.assertEqual(statsd.packets_dropped_queue, 0)
+        self.assertEqual(statsd.packets_dropped_writer, 0)