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Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Arthritis meds and AIHA
| Tomorrow our GSD mix, Sheba, is scheduled for X-rays to determine whether the weakness in her back legs is caused by muscle loss due to the Pred, arthritis, bridging of the spine, myelopathy (God forbid) or something else. Right now we're hoping for muscle loss due to the Pred as we know that can be reversed. We are slightly worried it could be arthritis since she is 11 1/2 (or so) and slightly over weight. (She weighs 50-52 lbs.) The vet and I have discussed arthritis meds in the past and we are both concerned about the possibility of relapse due to meds. Does anyone have any experience with arthritis meds and AIHA? Good experiences with a certain drug? Bad experiences with a certain drug? I know all dogs are different so we might have to try several different ones or consider a joint/muscle supplement. Anyone have any recommendations for supplements? I figured we would get some ideas just in case tomorrow brings the verdict arthritis so the vet and I can start discussing the options. Oh, and please keep your fingers crossed. We are also testing our PCV level tomorrow and if it has stayed steady (46-48) we will officially cease all medications! Yeah! Thanks, in advance, for any help anyone can give us - we really appreciate it! Rita, Mike and Sheba |
| Rita IA |
| Rita, I am sorry about Sheba's back legs. Chance, too, has very weak back legs even now, a year after he recovered. He's nearly 11 also and I can tell he feels a little stiff now and then. Try reading some of the things on this website about arthritis and pain relief. I admire Mary Strauss very much and her website dogaware is well known. I may not agree with everything she advises on this web page but it will give you a huge number of options to discuss with your vet. Good luck tomorrow, patrice http://www.dogaware.com/arthritis.html DIET & SUPPLEMENTS FOR DOGS WITH ARTHRITIS & JOINT PROBLEMS |
| Patrice NYS |
| Hi Rita, I am sorry to hear that Sheba is having trouble with hind quarter weakness. My IMHA dog Benson (Golden retriever/GSD mix) started experiencing hind quarter weakness about a year and a half after he stopped taking all IMHA meds. He suffered extreme muscle loss while taking pred and I do believe that he never regained it entirely. Benson was diagnosed with intervertebral disc disease (he had disc surgery) and eventually degenerative myelopathy (DM). He eventually became paralyzed in the hind. I spent a great deal of time looking into pain relief for him because, although DM does not cause pain, I was concerned that the strain on the rest of his body would require treatment. I gave him acupuncture weekly for a year and a half and Reiki every day. In terms of supplements, I gave him glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM plus vit C and E. I was very worried about putting him on a conventional NSAID and I have posted here a few times, asking for other options. As the DM advanced, I also tried the conventional meds. Benson had a far too interesting veterinary history and I worked with my vet every step of the way on pain relief. It sounds like you and your vet are concerned about the same things and you should be able to find a pain relief method for Sheba, if she needs it. I hope that she does not have DM. And I hope that her PCV level is okay. Keep us posted. Best to you, Aden |
| Aden Jerusalem |
| Patrice and Aden: Thanks for your replies. I did check out Mary Strauss' website - very informative! And after Aden's comments about acupuncture I have started looking for a vet in our area in case we decide to pursue that at some later date. Yesterday we learned Sheba has spondylosis of the spine and a slight thickening of the bone in her left hip/leg. Our vet says nothing too serious and very common in dogs her age and of her genetic makeup. We are going to try Dasuquin with MSM and see if it helps. We decided the supplement route is the way to go first since it is something we can try without having to worry about side effects/complications/relapse. The big concern turned out to be her BUN level. It seems that it is elevated and while there isn't any blood showing up in her stool he was concerned enough to consult with a specialist he knows. They have decided to try 10 days of sucralfate and then do another blood workup to see if this has helped/her BUN level has returned to normal. Unfortunately, this means we are not going to stop her Atopica until we have this problem cleared up. So two more weeks and then maybe we will get to go meds free. She, of course, doesn't seem to mind too much, as it means more "treats". (The only way to get her meds down her these days is in a little bit of soft food.) So, more waiting and meds but given the alternative, we're good. Thanks for your help and support - we really appreciate it! Rita, Mike and Sheba |
| Rita IA |
| Rita, Jason and I will be thinking about you and Sheba tomorrow, please keep us posted. We wish you all the best. Take care, chin up, think positive. Lots of Love Claire & Jason xxxxxx |
| Claire Stebbens West Yorkshire (uk) |
This thread was discussed between 11/11/2008 and 14/11/2008
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