Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Daisy is Back Home

Touch and go for a while, but we picked Daisy up Friday afternoon. She is off the prednisone for a while until she heals from her "sock eating" episode. Reading the surgical report it is amazing she is still alive. They drained 2L of toxic fluids from her during the initial surgery. She had temp of 104.3 when she collapsed prior to her surgery.While in ICU they put her on Lasix (diuretic) to remove some additional fluids and they got another 2KG off her. She is resting in her bed and we have a complicated regimen of Rx's to administer to her. We are to give her Imuran 3 days in a row, then skip 4 days and repeat for two weeks. Then we will evaluate her healing and decide about returning to the prednisone. First things first.... She looks like a drunken barber got to her...she has shaves marks on all four forearms, her entire belly is reshaved and stitched. Then ended up putting a catheter in one of the veins in her ear so that is shaved also....but she is home!... Amazing what 10K will get you at the vet's office!

Ron B San Mateo

Ron, Just so happy to hear Daisy is home! Wow we certainly do feel for you and for Daisy and it will probably be a long road for recovery, but you know she is a fighter to have come this far, no stopping her now! Prayers to her and high 5 paws from Holly! Hang in there! Linda

Linda Sapphire

What an amazing story! I'm glad for you and Daisy. Barbara

Barbara Portland

Great news Ron! I'm happy for you both :+)

Tricia UK

Ron, What a trooper your Daisy is. I am so glad you have her at home and hope that it gets easier for all of you in the future. Penny

Penny Lytle Creek Calif

I'm glad Daisy is back home with you. That alone, will speed her recovery. Good news Ron. Please keep us all up to date. deb and Duck

Debbie BC Canada

Great News! Yippee, So glad to hear she is home!

christine florida

Glad to hear Daisy is home. She is definitely a troooper. Thanks for sending an update. We have been checking the board to see how she is.

leslie ca

Ron, Bless Daisy for her spirit. She has the very best owners in the world. Your great love and constant nursing care will bring her through this. We will be thinking about you tonight, Patrice

Patrice New York State

Daisy is doing great her first day home. It has been five days since she has had any prednisone and she is a different dog. She went from panting and being, or acting like she was too hot, to back to where she liked to be covered if it was cold. I e-mailed Jean Dodds, and she agreed that she sould not be put back on prednisone and the 3on;4off schedule for the Imuran was a good idea. Made me feel good about the vets decisions here at home. jean is in Europe for 14 days, bur she still took the tiome to answer my e-mail....amazing woman.

Ron B San Mateo

This is such great news. Here is hoping things continue to go well for her--and no more sock eating~

Sandra

Ron, Fantastic news for Daisy, my fingers will stay crossed for her total recovery. I completely agree with you about Dr Jean Dodds being an amazing woman. When I had some problems with Ernie I emailed her with my concerns and Ernies complete history, which by anyones standards was a fair bit to read! I had a reply from Dr Dodds within an hour, and since I'm in the UK it must have been the crack of dawn where she is!

Sue Northants UK

As I posted earlier, we brought Daisy home on Friday evening and nursed her all day Saturday. She was weak, but we expected that. Mid-day Sunday I noticed she was very hot to the touch so I went to the pharmacy and bought a rectal thermometer (only guy in the pharmacy during the middle of the SuperBowl). When I took her temp it was 104.6 (very high) thought about returning to the ER vet but I couldn't think about putting her thru another invasive procedure. The vet called me from Tahoe and was worried that there was a "surgical failure" in closing her perforated ulcer. She would not eat. We had been cooking chicken breast, hamburger, etc. no luck. I went back down to the store to buy a can of dog food that I could syringe into her mouth to force her to eat (again, the only guy in the supermarket) Got home with the can of food and she started eating it before I even had to make her eat?? Her temp started to drop and this evening when I got home from work it was back to normal at 100.5. Her temp had been high while she was in the ICU and they had her on IV antibiotics. We were given oral meds when we picked her up. I have no idea what caused her temp to spike and even more baffled as to why it has now returned to normal. Like all of you, we have gone from the depths of despair to the "highs of some recovery" with this dog.

Ron B San Mateo

Hi Ron. Are you doing okay? I was wincing as I read your post but gave a sigh of relief that Daisy's temp. had gone down. I can't imagine what these "highs" and "lows" must be putting you and your wife through. Big hugs to you all! deb and Duck

Debbie BC Canada

Sure glad her temp has gone back to normal. That must have been so scary. You guys continue to amaze me. You are super doggie parents!!!!

leslie ca

Ron, Daisy is sure a fighter, and what a good Mom & Dad she has. She is really putting you to the test of all limits, but they are so worth it. So glad her temperature is back down, and hopefully will stay down. Message from Holly to Daisy, "keep on fighting". Take care and hang in there, Linda

Linda Sapphire

This thread was discussed between 02/02/2008 and 05/02/2008

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