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Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Down a point.
| Maggie went for another blood check. Since she cut her down on prednisone from 25mg to 20mg she did another blood check but this time a full blood check and not the usual manual one. She wanted to check her platelets as well. She went down a point. Does the manual blood test normally score a bit higher then the more detailed one? She went from 40.5 to 39. She said her platlets are ok and that she isn't all that concerned because her blood is still within the normal range. Should I be concerned? She is continuing to keep her on the 20mg of prednisone. Is it normal for their blood to drop slightly if they are slowly weaning off medication or should her blood be going up on it's own instead of down, even though it's slight? |
| Dorri |
| Dorri, What wonderful news about Maggie. 39 is a great PCV. I personally would not be at all concerned about the drop from 40.5 to 39. My vet told me more times then I can ever count that "the PCV is just a snapshot of a moment in time. Had we drawn the blood earlier or later in the same day we might have gotten a different number." In addition to the PCV it is so important to look at the clinical signs such as appetite, energy level as well as color of mucus membranes. These are just as important indicators as the PCV. Many times, in fact most times, caregivers of AIHA/IMHA dogs get too caught up in the "numbers" and fail to recognize all the other good signs they see. I know I certainly did till my vet had a loooong talk with me. Remember that even such a simple thing as the amount of hydration can effect the PCV number Please enjoy each and every moment you have with your dear Maggie, sounds to me like she is doing well. |
| Joanne MN |
| Agreed with Joanne, Tiggs numbers fluctuate up and down within about a 2-3 point range, it's hard not to panic when there is a drop, but that seems statistically insignificant. The only time I really panic is when there is a downward trend. Especially when you make a med change, you might see some slight variation. She's still got a great PCV, in remission range, woo hoo! Watch her clinical signs as Joanne mentioned, if all signs look good, don't sweat it! |
| melissa slc |
This thread was discussed on 09/02/2009
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