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Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Can't believe it
| I can't believe it, my Maggie who is a bouncy, happy 4 year old cockapoo showed signs of not feeling well Christmas Day in the evening. I thought that maybe someone fed her something at supper that didn't agree with her. The next day she was still like that so made an appt for the next day and after a blood profile was done, they told me she had mediated hemolytic Anemia. She was started on prednisone immediately first by injection and I was told to give her pills orally. Her blood has come up from 15 to 18 and yesterdays blood test showed 28. Her platelets were also very low and now are normal. It's a week today, she still is listless and doesn't have energy but it's a positive thing that she is very slowly improving. |
| dorri |
| Dorri, I'm sorry to hear that Maggie has come down with AIMA. Sounds like you took fast action and her blood levels are showing great improvement. I can remember when my dog Ren first was diagnosed with this disease. My first reaction was the vet will give her some medication and in a few days all will be well. Some one told me that being an owner of an AIMH dog is a constant fight. There is the initial shock of the disease. Seeing how devastating the effects are on our dear pets. Then there are the relieved feelings when our pets start to recover. Each "good" day for them is a great day for us. Then there is the constant paranoia of relapse. We check them constantly for pink ears and gums. We panic at the first sign of a loose stool or a cough or not gobbling up a meal. This disease is a very difficult journey. In my non-professional opinion, the disease is not "cured" but rather goes into a remission. Sometimes that remission is life long and for other pets the disease reoccurs from time to time. My prayers are that Maggie fully recovers. SUE |
| Susie Delaware |
| Thank you..I have read some very sad things about IMHA and I am on worried even though Maggie is showing signs of improvement. |
| dorri |
| Dorri, I am so very sorry to learn about your dear Maggie's IMHA diganosis. While AIHA/IMHA is a very difficult disease, dogs who have been diagnosed with it CAN and DO recover and go on to live happy healthy lives. My own dear Meisha was proof of that as are all the dogs on the Success Stories pages at the Meisha's Hope AIHA/IMHA Web site: http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/ If you have not taken a look at the Meisha's Hope Web site as yet, you might want to do so when you can. Be sure to follow the links on the first page to many other sites on AIHA/IMHA that will be very helpful to you and do read the Success Stories pages. They will show you what has worked for other dogs in terms of treatment options as well as give you a lot of HOPE. Many (in fact most) times it can take a long time for a dog with AIHA/IMHA to get into remission. There can be many setbacks along the way so please do HANG in there. Be assured you and your dear gal are in my thoughts and prayers during these most difficult days. |
| Joanne MN |
| Thanks to the both of you. I just posted "sucess stories anyone" and just know there must be many but for some reason my search on the subject is giving me minimal to no positive news on this subject, mostly dismal news of relapses, struggle and losing the pet. Maybe I was looking in the wrong places. Also my son's gf's cocker spaniel was diagnosed with this disease in August and the poor thing was so sick for the last few months that just a few days ago they made a decision to relieve their sweet pet of suffering. This was very difficult for them. They made this decision at the same time my little Maggie was diagnosed, so I will take all the encouragement I can get. |
| dorri |
| HI Dorri Sorry I read your other post first. Im hoping your Maggie is still improving. Hany in there, the pcv rising is a good sign. Just remember that there is no quick fix for this, it does take time. Hang in there. Lisa |
| Lisa West Aust |
This thread was discussed between 01/01/2009 and 02/01/2009
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