VetNet®
VetNet® AIHA discussion forum
VetNet® Forum
Lifelong Learning Network
www.vetnetlln.ac.uk
Veterinary Recruitment
Premier Partner Program
Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - fred
| hi there. I posted a couple of weeks back about my toy poodle fred, who has been diagnosed with IMHA. He has been on the pred for a couple of weeks now, 10mg per day. He is eating loads, and has gained over 25% of his bodyweight in this short time. I have noticed the past couple of days that his breathing is fast and shallow. Is this a side effect of the pred do you know, or a sympton of the disease. Its really worrying me. ?? Also, although he is eating he still has little energy and does not want to walk. Does this improve with the meds ? He has become very clingy and quite aggressive to the other dogs. The vet is pleased with his progress and wants to reduce the dose, but I have said no, after reading about the caution of doing so on this site. |
| jacqui essex |
| Jacquie, There are many reasons Fred is panting. The prednisone affects the metabolism and can make him hot. Him being overweight can also make him pant more. Then of course there is always the fear that his blood is not transporting enough oxygen. This could be determined by a blood test to see where his PCV or hematocrit is at. You should do a blood test before reducing Fred's pred dose. It should not be lowered until he is stable and not more than 25-33% every 10days to 3 weeks. Reducing is a fine line and it depends on so many things. How hard is it on his body, is he on more than one immune suppressing drug. I would suggest to put Fred on a thyroid supplement. The way you describe him I am almost 100% sure he will test hypothyroid. Discus it with your vet. Best wishes, Brigitte |
| Brigitte BC |
| Brigitte, Thank you so much for your response. He is only on the one drug at the moment, and I will wait thinking about reducing it until he has his next blood test which is on the 28th. My vet hasnt mentioned hypothyroid atall. What exactly is this, or where can I find out some information on this. Is this a side effect of the IMHA or of the tablets? Is there a known supplement that you would recommend I ask for. Grateful for any advice you may have. Jacqui |
| jacqui essex |
| Jacquie, here is an article about Hypothiroidism: http://www.mirage-samoyeds.com/thyroid3.htm some dogs are hypothyroid (low thyroid) before getting ill, some develop it from the medication or the illness. I am not saying Fred is hypothyroid, but chances are pretty high. I remember Dr. Dodds recommending to put our dog on thyroid medication. I did not want to do it without checking. I could have saved that money:) because he was low. Of course the only way to be sure is by doing a blood check. There is not really an over the counter supplement, you have to get it through the vet (thiroxine if I remember correctly) Low thyroid will also slow down the blood building so it is important to keep an eye on this. Best wishes, Brigitte |
| Brigitte BC |
This thread was discussed between 21/12/2011 and 23/12/2011
Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) forum index
This thread is from the Vetnet archive. The live Vetnet forum is active now.
