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Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Dunes-update 10/3
| Dunes has been staying between 35-38 in her PVCs. Last week was 38, this week 37.6 My vet is going to consult with the specialist since she is been in the 30s for a couple of months-between 32 and 39, but mostly around 36 - 37. The Vet is hoping to start some reduction (I hope it's the pred). She seems a little weaker but is affectionate-gallops to get treats. I'd be appreciative about comments on what to expect with reductions of meds. Thanks |
| Joe Ohio |
| I don't have any answers on the drug reduction because we never got there. Just wanted to say I am happy that Dunes is holding steady and hopefully with the reductions her own body will take over with positive results. Penny |
| Penny Lytle Creek Calif |
| Great news for you and Dunes. Drago and I are really happy. |
| Sue K York |
| Joe, congratulations on the imminent Pred reduction! the pred reduction is a see-saw. you'll see 1. less thirst 2. less hunger 3. more muscle 4. less infections 5. less carafate! but also 1. teary goopy eyes 2. soreness and arthritic pain {the pred alleviates arthritic pain} 3. weak hind legs |
| Otto Brooklyn |
| great to see Dunes holding his count... |
| josh california |
| Hi Joe. You were asking about what you could expect when you start pred reductions. Every dog will respond differently but I thought I would share what we have experienced with Duck. Duck's normal PCV seems to be in the 37 to 38 range and he has been able to maintain that over the 5 reductions we have done so far. There was only one reading that dipped below that to 36.5. Of course I panicked and thought we should increase the prednisone because Duck hadn't had a number that low for two months prior. But the specialist said he wasn't concerned and would not be concerned unless Duck's PCV readings started showing a downward trend. The very next PCV was back up into the normal range. Otto mentioned gummy eyes and Duck experienced that. He also had one episode of conjunctivitis which cleared up nicely with eye ointment. I don't know if the conjunctivitis was related to pred reduction or not. Oddly enough, when we got down to the 10 mg once a day dosage, Duck developed calcinosis cutis. In normal language that is calcium deposits at the surface of the skin. Duck went on a 14 day course of cephalexen just to rule out possible bacterial infection. The calcinosis cutis is resolving itself without treatment. There is an excellent picture of it on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcinosis_cutis Overall we have had positive signs: 1. increased alertness 2. increased energy 3. decreased appetite 4. decreased thirst 5. decreased urination 6. hair regrowth over original transfusion areas 7. his head is filling in beautifully and I think most importantly, Duck has quality of life again - he seems like a normal happy dog. I found every reduction stressful because there were no guarantees as to how Duck would react and of course I was terrified that he would have a full scale relapse. Anyway, hope this helps you and good news that Dunes is holding steady. Hope you can soon start reducing Dunes' prednisone dosage. deb and Duck |
| Debbie Nelson BC |
| Debbie's mention of Calcinosis cutis reminds me of one scary episode we had where, after giving Kika a new treat of dried Sheep's ear her head broke out in hives... all along the top of her head down to the base of her neck. I had no idea what caused this but i threw the sheep's ears treats away and she was fine in a few days without any further action. hope that helps. -Otto et Kika |
| Otto Brooklyn |
This thread was discussed between 03/10/2007 and 05/10/2007
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