Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Cookie latest

Went to vet today. Her PCV is back up to 38%, so I'm very happy for her. We are almost off of prednisone & I'm nervous when she's not on it she will relapse but so far so good. Her prednisone last week was 5 mg 2x day and then we upped Atopica to 150mg a day (100 in the morning, 50 at night) and now I am giving 5mg once a day of the prednisone (because they were 20mg tablets quartered, too difficult to get 2.5mg 2x day) Next week, we will recheck her chemistry to see if liver levels have gone down. My one question is if anyone has any advice for her stomach problems? We gave her metronidazole for 5 days as directed. On it she had no diarrhea so we didn't go the optional 5 extra days but the day after we discontinued it it started again. We are giving pumpkin with her meals and she's eating her regular food again. She gets pepcid AC before her medications.

Monet Sammamish

Monet, I am pretty sure prednisone is available in 5mg, maybe even 1mg. Of all the drugs prednisone is the cheapest, so it would be worth it getting the smaller pills. about the diarrhea, maybe it would be a good idea to do the metronidazole for a longer time? maybe doing a stool sample? I remember protecting my dogs stomach with sucralfate even on the lower doses. maybe that is worth a try? Best wishes, Brigitte

Brigitte BC

38% Wow, I am so Happy for You and your Cookie. I hope that she continues improving each and every day. Our vets had Lucky on Zantac.

Kathy Calif.

YAY for that great PCV!! So very excited for you and Cookie! Bentley has had lots of trouble with diarrhea over the last ten weeks....we use Pro-Pectalin for it, three to four days at a time....We've also had good luck mixing some Science I/D in with his regular food to help with the tummy. Mr. B sends Cookie a big puppy hug and kiss! Sally

Sally Louisiana

Thank you. I will extend metro until Thursday but trying half tab to see if that still helps. I've been avoiding sulcralfate because my specialist never mentioned it and it is hard enough already to cover her treatment with a $10/hr part-time job. But, my boss raised me to $11/hr so maybe I will add it after all. I haven't heard of Pro-Pectalin but it looks affordable so I'll definitely ask my vet about it when I go Friday.

Monet Sammamish

Also there was a backorder of the 5mg pred, so they gave us 10 20mg tablets quartered (way more than I need).. I think she'll be off completely next week so I'd feel kind of silly to ask for 3 tablets now :P

Monet Sammamish

Hi Monet, I am so happy to hear of Cookie's progress. Cheers to you both!!! I hope she continues quickly on the path to recovery. I really don't have any good suggestions for diarrhea as I feed a raw diet and I would just add more raw bone, which works well since it is mostly fiber. Unfortunately we all face the possibility of relapse and it is certainly unsettling. I remember how those last few reductions felt in Dylan and we did not have Cyclosporine to back it up. I was definitely more nervous than earlier reductions. Just like the fight against this disease takes strength determination and fortitude, so does dealing with their future without drugs. I continue to do my best to get Dylan healthy as quickly as possible and get as much muscle and additional fat back on her body just in case. I keep prednisone on hand and I watch her like a hawk for any listlessness, or change in her routine. Since red pee was a big sign in her, I watch her pee every time even if I know she is not anemic at the moment. I check her poop always and I check her gums regularly, which I am happy to say are nicely pink. I sure hope none of us have to face a relapse, but it seems certain that some of us will. I know you are very strong and well prepared, so I have no doubt you will always do your best and fight a relapse as well as you can should one occur. I hope you and Cookie have the best of luck in your further reductions. Richard and Dog Dylan

Richard Burnaby

Monet, I'm no expert but when Dufy had trouble with being constipated after a surgery a few years ago they told me to give him pumpkin for it. You said you are giving Cookie pumpkin so maybe if Cookie is having diarrhea maybe you should stop the pumpkin for awhile. Connie

Connie Washington

Last year I read an article on some of our local shelters and they mentioned they gave pumpkin for both constipation and diarrhea. Why it should work for both I don't know. Yay for you and Cookie! Penny

Penny Lytle Creek Calif

Pumpkin has a lot of fiber and surprisingly works for both, constipation and diarrhea! best wishes, Brigitte

Brigitte BC

Monet, It is quite possible that Cookie has some level of inflammation in her bowel and the prednisone was helping with that. Reducing the dosage may have brought it back to the surface. Metrondiazole is most often prescribed for 7-10 days, not just 5. The fact that it was working may indicated that it might have been given for too short of a time. I keep some on had at home and dose it when one of my dogs does not respond to pumpkin by 2 days. I found with Chance that he did a lot better when I used it for longer periods of time, but at a reduced dosage, once a day. Check with your vet and see if they think you should start it again. This time stick with the full dosage for the full prescribed time. There are some side effects to extremely prolonged metrondiazole usage. Discuss this with your vet. my best patrice

Patrice NYS

Monet- so happy to hear that Cookie is making such good progress.PC of 38 is great - hope you can get the stomach problems under control. I'm using probiotics on Lucy but I it's to counter the effect of the massive doses of antibiotics she is taking and it is helping. You do so much for your baby. I am thinking of you both and wishing Cookie a good and speedy recovery. Best wishes- Maris

Maris NY

We went to the vet yesterday and had her blood sent out for chemistry (no PCV this week). Got the results today and her enzymes are way down (still slightly elevated but not too much) Keeping on 5mg a day until next PCV (apparently, we were supposed to be at 8mg a day.. I wonder if they realize that it is very impossible to get that dosage with quartered 20mg tabs :P). The dr that we usually see wasn't the one that spoke to us and the one we saw didn't give us time to ask about the pro-pectalin. Her stool definitely turns to diarrhea off of the metro still. Also, she's starting to gain weight. It is funny because she was losing weight on high dose prednisone and now gaining it on low dose. So we'll build her walks back up and go back to regular daily serving sizes (doing it 3 meals to try to help her appetite at 1/2 cup 3x day, vs 1 c 2x day + 4oz of cooked raw dog food)

Monet Sammamish

hey there, i was reading your post about the diarrhea -- my dog had the same issue with diarrhea which occasionaly had traces of blood (i think more from an irritated bottom more than anything) -- we went on the metro as well and it cleared it up but i have found that whenever i tried to get charlie back on straight dog food he would get the diarrhea again. even if the process was gradual when he achieved all dog food diet he would get loose stools. this is with the high quality natural balance limited ingredient dog food mixed dry and can with yogurt. i have had to return him to rice and that keeps the stools in check. i think the can was too rich for his compromised system. we give him rice with dry dog food and yogurt and he seems good on that -- just a suggestion, every dog is different but that is what helped with charlie. good luck and keep us all posted.

charlie

Monet, You can get prednisone in 5mg and 1mg tablets. Your vet can call the prescription into any local pharmacy. Prednisone is cheap. There is no need to wait for your vet to have the lower doses on hand. I get 1mg tablets at Bartells, for our other dog, Bella. She has Addison's Disease. Also, alternatives to canned pumpkin, are dehydrated pumpkin flakes, which can be purchased locally at Scraps or Owello Carrots, dehydrated carrot pulp, which can be ordered online. Both of these dehydrated products are easier to deal with than canned pumpkin and last indefinately....also, far less waste...and they are easier to take with. Good Luck! Ella and Henri

Ella Seattle

I also give Lola metronidazole whenever she gets diarrhea for more than 2 or 3 days, but after reading about side effects on http://metronidazolefordogs.org/, now I'm thinking there could be something better. Any ideas? She is basically on a rice, chicken and vegetables diet plus all her meds (by the way, I am Christina's mother taking care of Lola while she is at college). The last few weeks she gets a raging case and I don't know what else to do for her, since it works so quickly.

Pat New Jersey

Slippery elm powder natural herb good for diarrhoea in dogs if you google it loads of info... below just 1 recipe of many to be found: Mix 1 teaspoon (slightly rounded) of slippery elm powder with 1 cup of cold distilled water Stir constantly while bringing to a boil Reduce heat to simmer and stir for 2 to 3 minutes while mixture partially thickens Remove from heat Add 1 tablespoon of honey and stir well Cool to room temperature Give ½ to 1 teaspoon to small dogs, 2 teaspoons to 2 tablespoons to medium dogs and 3 to 4 tablespoons to large dogs Give 4 times per day or every 4 hours Cover the mixture and store at room temperature

Kathleen Scotland

Hey all! Mr. B has had tons of trouble with loose, runny stool....our vets gave us Pro-Pectalin, a paste/gel in a tube, given 2-3x day for about 3 days....works great for him. This last time, the specialist changed it to Proviable-KP, which is an anti-diarrheal gel that also has probiotic with it. This has also helped tremendously. Unfortunately, we had to take Mr. B off cooked veggies....he just couldn't tolerate them. A little bit of pumpkin in his food also helps with the stool problem. Kathleen, can I get slippery elm at the health food store? Pat, so good to 'meet' you!! Lola and Mr. B were diagnosed at the same time, so Christina and I share that bond....and we've decided that Lola and Bentley make the cutest puppy couple!! We're on the Facebook IMHA group too...please let us know if we can help in any way! Lola is just adorable :) Monet, so glad Cookie is doing well!! Sally and Bentley

Sally Louisiana

Kathleen, Thank you. I will look for the slippery elm powder next time I go the health food store (was just there yesterday to get the liquid Sam-E drops) Hi Sally, I've read your FB posts to Chrissy and Lola so I feel like I know you and Mr. B! I bought canned pumpkin today and will try it next meal..Pro-Pectalin sounds familiar so I'm going to look through Lola's supplies to see if we have some. So, what do you feed Mr. B? Pat

Pat New Jersey

Pat, Right now Mr. B is on a mix of Science I/D and E/N....I had put him on home cooked chicken, hamburger, rice, pumpkin, etc....but he had sooo much tummy trouble, the vets wanted to stay with the Science I/D. In the near future, he will need to go on a Kidney diet, as he has some damage there due to the IMHA, and we'll have to control his protein intake. I do still give him some pumpkin, as it does help and he LOVES the taste!! Hope Lola's tummy feels better!! Sally and Mr. B

Sally Louisiana

I'm a little confused because in 2008 when Dufy had his spleen removed he had a bout of constipation and they told me to give him pumpkin and it worked. So are you saying that it works of the runs also? Also I wanted to tell everyone that if you don't have insurance for you dog you should think about it. I just found out that VPI will be paying me 1507.84 of the 2049.44 it cost me for all the stuff that Dufy went through before he pasted away. In 2008 they paid over half for the spleen surgery he had. They are great. I took a policy out for him when he was about 1 year old and it started out about 23.00 a month and as he got older it gradually went up. This last year it was 54.00 a month and he was 11 and 1/2 years old. I am so thankful I had it. It helped keep me from worrying about the expenses of the doctor bills when Dufy was so sick. I wish you all healthy dogs. We have a new puppy coming the end of the month. We picked out another Standard Poodle. We will pick him up around the 28th of Oct. I cry every day because I miss my Dufy so much. Connie

Connie Washington

Connie, I know, it is odd that pumpkin can help with both tummy issues, but I have found it to be true! A little pumpkin helped Mr. B's diarrhea immensely. I also found if I gave him too much, his stool became much more runny. I know the pain from losing a pet....I hope you can soon think of Dufy and smile at your memories of him. And I know the new puppy will be very lucky to have such a wonderful guardian who will give him such a great, loving home. All the best, Sally and Bentley

Sally Louisiana

Connie, Hugs to you! We feel what you are going through. The pain is excruciating. It's so hard since we lost our little Lucky. Our daughter still cries herself to sleep. She says that she's going to become a Scientist when she's older so that she can come up with a cure for this Horrid disease. I check here to be sure that all is still well with the kind people on this site and their beloved fur friends friends. I wish Everyone the best. I'd love to see more Success stories.

Kathy Calif.

Sally, Lola has been getting pumpkin with her meals and has had normal stools all week. Christina took her to a different vet and he took her off the metronidazole and has us putting a pinch of Tylan in her food also. So whatever is working, it's all good! Thanks. Pat

Pat New Jersey

Pat, Well YAY for normal stools!!! (Amazing what excites us now, huh? LOL) So glad Lola is feeling better! Give her a big HUG from me and Mr. B!! Sally

Sally Louisiana

Cookie has been staying in her 34-38% range since August so next week she'll be off the pred (moving to every other day for now, she is still on full dose of 150mg of cyclosporine) and if the following week she is still stable we'll hopefully start going just once a month. Her stools are fairly normal, after we went back and did 10 days straight of metro it helped, now as long as I add pumpkin she seems to be okay. The weight keeps packing on (she's up to 50 lbs now and 44ish is her usual weight) I think maybe because our walks have been slow and shorter, her choice I think she is bored of our walk so I guess we have to start driving out to walk so she gets a variety..

Monet Sammamish

This thread was discussed between 16/09/2011 and 29/10/2011

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