Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - All new to me

My baby Chester was just seen by our vet. He has always been a VERY hyper dog. Always going. He has been lethargic lately and over the last day lost his appetite. The vet diagnosed him with AIHA. Do the steroids really help? Do they do more damage to my dog? I'm totally disraught over this and cannot stop crying. I carried him to bed last night just so he wouldn't be alone. I just don't want him to be in any pain. Any advice? What do expect from this?

Dawn New York

Dawn, I am so sorry this is happening to you tonight. Please know that there are many people here who care about you and what is happening to Chester. It can be very frightening when your dog is first diagnosed. You may have never heard of this disease before. Suddenly you have many decisions to make and not enough information about what to do. There is someone here to answer your questions whenever you need help. Can you tell us a little about what is happening? Where did you take Chester? Was it your regular vet or a specialist? Do you have a copy of the blood work that was done? Tell us his weight and the dosage of prednisone he is on. Have you noticed that his urine is darker than normal? If there is one sure thing about treatment of AIHA, the first line defense is prednisone, and in very high doses. There can be results in some cases within 3-5 days. Some owners have to wait longer. Some, like myself, waited for months for recovery. In my case, and any of the tougher cases, another drug has to be added to the treatment. It is very important to know that there are many successes with this condition. I know Joanne would want you to read some of the information she has on her web site: http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/index.html Please take time to look at the success stories. Tonight it is important to gather yourself together and feel hopeful that you will be able to do everything you need to save Chester's life. You mention you don't want him to be in pain. I know exactly how you feel. I was sitting out in the street outside our house this summer in the middle of the night crying. I took Chance out to pee and he would not get up. I had to wake my husband to carry him back in the house. I thought to myself, what am I doing to him? Am I doing this for him or am I doing it for *me*? Now, at the end of the year, Chance is nearly normal again and I believe he will survive this. But I didn't know that back in June. I can't tell you how glad I am that I kept going. He's on the couch nearby sleeping and snoring softly. The most important thing you need right now is access to excellent and appropriate nursing care directed by a vet who is experienced with AIHA. This is a critical time when you may need to give Chester a transfusion, perhaps several. There will be side effects from the prednisone and there are a number of drugs that are generally given to support the changes that come from that. You should also ask your vet about the risk of serious blood clotting in these early days. There are several drugs that can protect Chester right now from that. You may need to have blood tests done frequently in the next few weeks to make sure that Chester doesn't become too severely anemic. This can be a very expensive process, especially in the early days. Are you prepared to handle that? Some of us have chosen to do anything we can, at whatever the cost. I think sometimes vets discourage owners to proceed like that. You can read some of the older posts here to get an idea of what owners have done. There is no right or wrong way. Please try to get some sleep tonight so you will be fresh in the morning. You will need to contact your vet to make sure you will have access to care over the holidays. My thoughts are with you, Patrice

Patrice New York State

Dawn, I am sorry to hear about Chester. What kind of dog is he? The disease in itself is not painful you are just seeing the results of the low oxygen levels he has right now. What was his PCV and what kind of drugs did they put him on? You will find a lot of support on this board so know that you are not alone in this. Penny

Penny Lytle Creek Calif

Hi Dawn. I'm sorry you've had to join us but this is a good source of information and support. The only thing I can think of to add to what Patrice has said is to ask your vet about sucralfate and Pepcid AC (famotodine) for your dog. These two meds protect the gastrointestinal tract from ulceration that can occur with prednisone. I have been dealing with an internist at Washington State University and he has instructed us to keep our dog on the sucralfate and Pepcid AC until Duck is completely off the prednisone. Good luck to you. Please let us know how things are going. deb and Duck

Debbie BC Canada

Dawn..sorry to hear about Chester. Everyone on this forum is here to support you. This disease takes along time to treat and must be handled properly. Many vets are unfamiliar with the proper steps. I will e-mail you a detailed protocol that I took off this forum and had edited by Jean Dodds, D.M.V, today. Since you are new to this board, Jean is one of the foremost hematology vets in the United States and is very familiar with treating this. If you have any questions, everyone on this board has a great deal of knowledge. Good Luck , Ron

Ron B San Mateo

Dawn- you have found a great place for support and information. this disease is so tough but it can be beat so don't give up. one day at a time and i wish Chester nothing but the best. seek out a specialist or even consider contacting Jean Dodds directly if you choose

Josh Cal

I don't think any of us here had ever heard of this disease before before our dogs were diagnosed, and we had no idea what to expect. Many dogs do over come and live long lives. My 4 year old golden retriever, Hunter, was not one of the lucky ones. But i would never give up hope because as i said, many go on to live long lives once they get stable. We all know the ups and downs, the tears and smiles and understand the roller coaster you are on. here is wishign the best for you guy.

Sandra Texas

Our Schipperke, Grace, had taken ill on Xmas Eve. My wife looked at her gums and they were white. We called the Vet and they said it could be life threatening. She was diagnosed with AIHA. She is on steroids and still weak. Her temperature is normal and she will eat, which is good. We are also hurt and as we were holding her Andrea Bocelli was singing "Time to say Goodbye" we were crushed in tears. We pray our Grace comes back to health and we pray for all of our friends that have this horrible condition.

Dave Worcester

Dave, I am so sorry that Grace has been diagnosed with this awful disease. You might want to start a new post so more people will see it. Try not to read too much into the unfortunate playing of the song, I have had the same thing happen while at my Vet and know how terrible it can be. This is a roller coaster ride type of disease so hang on tight. Be sure to read up at Joanne's website and anything you don't understand or if you just need to vent here is the place to do it. Everyone here has walked in your shoes. Best to you and Grace Penny

Penny Lytle Creek Calif

Thank you all for your support with this. Chester has been on 20 mg of Prednisone for the last 7 days. I have to say his appetite is back with a vengence as is his need for water. He's walking around again and wagging his tail. What a difference a week can make. All of your stories have been so helpful. I am noticing that he has started to pant a bit at night and breathe a little more rapidly. Is this a side effect of the steriods? And should he be taking the Pepcid for his stomach?

Dawn New York

Everything you are seeing is from the Pred. By all means have your Vet recommend something to protect his stomach. Glad to hear that Chester is up and wagging his tail! Penny

Penny Lytle Creek Calif

This thread was discussed between 23/12/2007 and 30/12/2007

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