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Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Chiropractic/Arthoplex with IMHA Dogs
| Hi Everyone - This is a question to those of you fortunate enough to be managing an IMHA dog for the longer term. Has anyone had experience using chiropractic treatments or a supplement, Arthroplex by Thorne Veterinary, for their dogs? A holistic vet I'm working with (she was trained in Western medicine and "made the move") has recommended both for Murray given he is older, is painful/tight over his hips and, most importantly for us, she thought there could be a chiropractic treatment that may help with the tremors he's been having. But, as with all things with an IMHA dog, I'm worried the risks of either outweigh the benefits, so I would appreciate any experience anyone can share. Tomorrow, Murray will be six months home from the hospital following his sepsis and "cutting off" the IMHA drugs - his counts are OK - not as good as a year ago but stable and he's acting pretty well in himself (I love that expression from our friends on this board from "across the pond"). I am so grateful for this extra time with him - from our crisis, our experience with IMHA and reading others' on this board, I am really truly humbled by what a blessing it is - I have had the opposite outcome with my other dogs and I know how deep the pain can be. I think of everyone fighting this disease each night. Bonnie |
| Bonnie Chicago |
| Hi Bonnie, I am glad to hear that Murray is still here and that you are enjoying your time with him. Time with our dogs really is a gift. My dog Benson who is currently 12 years old, was diagnosed with IMHA three years ago. He is off all meds for about 2 1/2 years at this point. Hindsight can be 20/20 and I wish I had done some other things after Benson went into remission. He had extreme muscle loss due to pred. Some of it came back but a lot did not. Benson has suffered from disc disease and possibly degenerative myelopathy and has been paralyzed in the hind for the past 9 months. The vets have always commented on the muscle loss even while he was still walking. If I could do it over again, I would have started some complementary therapies (there aren't really holistic vets in Israel, at least there aren't any who are easily accessible for me). I would have done physiotherapy and hydrotherapy to rebuild the muscle. And I would have done acupuncture and Chinese herbs to help his body recover (it is possible that Benson has another autoimmune condition). I would have loved to have tried chiropractic work on him (particularly VOM) but chiropractic work can cause pain and damage if done incorrectly. I don't know if this would have prevented his paralysis but it might have delayed the weakening in the hind. Benson takes quite a few supplements to help with arthritis and strain. The most important thing for any treatment (conventional or alternative) is that the dog be monitored for any signs of IMHA relapse. I go over all of Benson's meds and supplements with various vets. The decisions regarding his treatment are mine alone. Good luck treating Murray and please keep us posted. I wish you and Murray lots of good quality time together. Very best to you, Aden |
| Aden Jerusalem |
| Hi Bonnie, Last week I went to a holistic vet to get a consult for my 2-year-old Aussie, Lola. I made the appointment because it was becoming apparent that Western medicine was only going to take her so far and I wanted to know if there was a supplement or if there was anything I could do nutritionally to help her out. Right now her only symptom is lethargy and, well, grumpiness because of the Prednisone. He put her on the Chinese herb Qing Yang Ting (to cool her blood) and recommended that I change her food to something high protein and low carb (for reasons that I won't go into here). After my visit and after talking to other "long time" dog people, I think I'll continue to use both holistic and Western medicine to care for my dog. I've heard many really good things about acupunture and imagine that chiropractic treatments could also be very beneficial. I guess I'm not too much help with your specific request, but I'm really interested in what folks are doing in the area of holistic medicine to care for their animals. Best, Connie |
| Connie St. Paul |
This thread was discussed on 11/12/2007
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