Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - AIHA triggered by stress?

I just read Glen's post about his suspicion that his dog Rocco's AIHA was triggered by the stress of moving. Now I am really worried that it was the same for my Standard Poodle Kahlu. He hates grooming and there is no way I can do it by myself. He goes to an excellent and very experienced groomer about every 2 months. He does not like going but walks in with his tail high and happily greets the groomer. Kahlu was diagnosed 10 days after his last visit there. After his diagnosis I talked to her if she noticed anything special about him, she could not say that there was anything different. I tend to think that the AIHA was triggered by his immunizations 3 months before, but I am still worried to have him groomed. I already talked to the groomer and she said she will make sure he is in at a more quiet time and will have him done as quick as possible. I guess we will never know...... and keep on worrying. Any thoughts? Thanks Brigitte

Brigitte BC Canada

That is an interesting thought. I have a friend who lost their cat years ago that had AIHA, he was diagnosed and passed away a few weeks after moving. She thought his lethargy, not eating, etc was due to the stress of the move. Now did it cause it? I think this disease of like like throwing darts at a board. I asked about is it being more disease specific, but maybe its just more awareness on our part in finding out about this disease. As for Kahlu have you checked with your groomer to see if they changed products? I was trying to remember when I had my carpets cleaned thinking could these chemicals be respsonsible. Laurie

Laurie CA

I have often linked AIHA to stress. My dog "Ren" developed the disease during a week vacation last year. And this year she relapsed one week after we arrived home from a weeks holiday. Coincidence??. I do not know. In addition, Ren had a vaccine two weeks before last years vacation and a rabies vaccine this year one month before we left. Maybe it was a combination of things, stress and vaccine. I will never have Ren vaccinated again. When vacation time rolls around, we will alter our plans and her meds to lessen the stress levels. SUE

Susie Delaware

Brigitte, I am so sorry to hear that Kahlu has AIHA. My dog, Sunny died in August after a three month battle with this terrible disease. I too, wonder whether the disease was triggered by the stress of going to the groomer. I have never mentioned it on this forum, because my vet said she does not believe that the stress of the groomer was the trigger, although we never found another trigger. Sunny was an American Eskimo and Border Collie mix. He absolutely hated and feared going to the groomer. We took him to the groomer for his annual Summer haircut and he was never the same. Everyone who saw him that week talked about how he seemed so different after the haircut. He just laid around all the time and had no energy. A couple weeks later, he needed a blood transfusion. Sunny's photo was recently published in the Morris Animal Foundation newsletter. Our wonderful friend, Penny Carlson, whom I met on this website made a generous donation in my Sunny's memory to the Morris Animal Foundation, Meisha's Hope Fund that researches the causes of AIHA. Hopefully someday there will a cure for this dreadful disease. To see a photo of my Sunny and read about how you can help find a cure for AIHA, please follow this link to the newsletter. Sunny's photo is on page 13. I will be praying for you and your dog Kahlu. Respectfully, Leslie

Leslie Oceanside

Here is the link to the Morris Animal Foundation Newsletter. http://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/resources/animal-news/

Leslie Oceanside

My scruffy too developed IMHA immediately after I went away for a week's holiday and left him at home with my son feeding him whilst I was away. Definitely a link with stress as he was perfectly healthy when I left him and very ill when I returned. My son didn't realise anything was wrong with him and he had no idea he was sick whilst I wasn't there. Is this just a coincidence too. He had peracute severe non regenerative anemia.

Julie Australia

I believe there is a link with stress, and doubt that anyone could convince me otherwise. Our lab, Toby, was diagnosed with AIHA about three weeks after our female whelped a litter. It was our very first litter. Although Toby was kept away from the litter, he would go crazy sniffing my clothes. He relapsed when she went into heat a few months later. Sadly, I couldn't pull him back that time. Karen H.

Karen H. MO

It is funny you should mention this as my husband and I have often said Ginger (who has chronic AIHA) would always get sick right before we would go on vacation. Even though we take her with us she may not have realized this and with all the packing and us getting ready caused stress for her or perhaps even the trip itself, but she would get sick right before we left. Now that she is on a maintenance dose of meds she has been just fine before our last two vacations. Cheryl & Ginger

Cheryl & Ginger Pineville PA

To those of you thinking about stress, You might want to check out this article by Dr. Dodds http://www.gdhfa.org/ImmuneSystem.htm which says among other things "The four main causative factors of autoimmune disease have been stated to be: Genetic predisposition; Hormonal influences, especially of sex hormones; Infections, especially of viruses; and Stress."

Joanne MN

The similarities between these stories is shocking, and I FIRMLY believe that stress is a trigger. I got my Rocco a few weeks after my first pup, Roxy. They were together until Rocco passed. I moved into a house with a roommate who has a dog named Buster, coincidentally, it's Rocco and Roxy's baby. A couple of days a week, Buster goes to another house to visit his human mom. Since Roxy has never been alone since 3 weeks after I got her, I refuse to leave her alone in the house, for fear of stress. I can see in her eyes the fear she has if she thinks I'm leaving her alone, so I will not do it.

Glenn NJ

Hi Birgitte, Being the owner of a standard poodle myself and growing up with them all my life, I tend to think it was not going to the groomer - (at least not the stress part, but not so sure about the chemicals). Poodles get so used to being handled, brushed, clipped from the time they are just tiny pups, and as long as its a reputable place and your dog hasn't been traumatized by bad groomer, I wouldn't think that would be it. I understand trying to figure out what caused it though for sure.

Leslie

Hi Leslie, thanks for your input. Kahlu hates the grooming, but oddly enough not the groomer. It was not more or less stressful than usual, I was just wondering about the time line. The groomer assured me that they did not use a different shampoo or anything that was not used on him before. Even though the immunizations happened 3 months before AIHA i tend to think that that was the trigger. Like in allergies in so many people and animals I believe 2 or more things have to come together. Maybe that is also the case with AIHA and that is why it is so hard to find out the cause. Greetings from my poodle to yours! Brigitte

Brigitte BC Canada

This is one that haunts me...still does today. Raven contracted IMHA about 3 months after I moved from Chicago to the East coast. When I wrote Dr. Dodds if that was the cause, her answer was "could very well be." My heart sunk, and the guilt continues to follow me 3 months after her death...

Sharon CT

So what do I do now? I still have to have Kahlu groomed, there is no way I could do it myself, that would be stressful for BOTH of us. I just signed up for a Ttouch seminar, maybe that can be of help? Kahlu has been much better the last three days and I think he is stable. The bloodtest on Friday will tell.

Brigitte BC Canada

Sharon, Please try to remember you may never know for sure if stress was the trigger and there was no way any of us who had never even heard of this disease prior to getting the diagnosis could ever imagine the things that we took for granted and believed were right for our dogs could have such devastating outcomes. Brigitte Perhaps you might be able to find a mobile groomer or pay the person you use to come to your home? Penny

Penny Lytle Creek Calif

Perhaps if you told your vet about your concerns, he could give your pup a tranquilizer for the day, maybe something small. Just a thought.

Glenn NJ

I think that would be a bit harsh, more toxins? Kahlu is a very relaxed, absolutely laid back guy. He used to do visits at the seniors home and at school. He just hates to be groomed. He walks in there with his tail up goes and greets the groomer happily. Just gives the signal, please don't touch my front paws or my face. I can snip around his anus and penis no problem, just the front is a chore. I will talk to the groomer again and see that she can do it in a short session and just do the absolute necessary. I will also ask if I can stay. I am sure she will understand. I am freaked out to leave him alone there. It is still more than 5 weeks before he has to go, so I will put it on the back burner now and concentrate on him getting healthy. We just got back from a 15 minute walk and he was so happy to be out in the snow and sun! I will take a Tellington TTouch workshop in 2 weeks, I hope to get some insight from that and techniques to relax him when he gets groomed. Thanks everybody for your input! Kahlu says Hi and wags his tail for all the sick and healthy pups!

Brigitte BC Canada

Hi When Lily died, three days after diagnosis, I blamed it on her vaccinations - she had had her annual booster in the September and she died in the February. She was a happy playful pup, nothing ever seemed to freak her out or stress her. I think I just needed to have something else to blame. Then when Billy (Lily's half brother) was diagnosed 6 months after moving house, he has only ever had his puppy vacs (I don't vaccinate any of my dogs anymore), we said it was the stress of moving. IMO there are many diffrent factors linking this disease, more than likely with my breed it is genetic. We have quite a small gene pool.

Steph Gloucestershire UK

This thread was discussed between 24/02/2009 and 26/02/2009

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