Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Henri - 5 month-old diagnosed with AIHA

Our beloved Henri, five month-old West Higland White Terrier, is in the emergency hospital tonight getting a blood transfusion. He was diagnosed with AIHA today and will be starting steroid therapy immediately. My wife and I are lost with grief and confusion. This came on so quickly. He was a healthy playfull puppy just a few days ago and now he appears to be on his deathbed. In the couple of hours we have spent trying to research this, it doesn't appear that this happens with puppies. Our vets are scratching their heads over this also. Any information that anyone has on this disease and the various treatments as they relate to puppies would be a blessing. We are scared to death that the treatments at such a young age will doom him to a life of misery and pain. Keep Henri in your prayers tonight. I will provide more specific information as soon as we are able to get it. Thanks, Jeff, Ella and Bella (3 yr Westie with Addison's)

Jeff and Ella Seattle

Jeff & Ella, I am so very sorry to hear that your most beloved Herni has just been diagnosed with AIHA. If you have not read my Web site on AIHA/IMHA as yet you might want to do so. The URL is http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/ Be sure to follow the links on the first page to other sites on AIHA/IMHA that will be very helpful to you and do read the SUCCESS STORIES pages. The will show you what has worked for other dogs in terms of treatment otpions as well as give you a lot of HOPE. I have seen several puppies Henri's age and even younger who have been diagnosed with AIHA/IMHA and most of them have done very well since they have the advantage of youth on their side. I notice you said Herni is starting Steriod thearpy. It should be noted that most times other drugs such as Azathioprine and/or Cyclosporine are necessary to get a dog with AIHA/IMHA into remission. Has your vet mentioned these drugs to you? If not it may be very wise to ask your vet about them. If this vet is not that familiar with the use of these drugs for the treatment of AIHA/IMHA, it may be very wise for you to have him/her consult with a veterinary internal medicine specialist or a veterinary teaching hospital in regard to Henri's treatment. You can learn more about the two medications I mentioned above on the TREATMENT page at my Web site. This page also has links to other sites that contains more info on these medications. Indeed AIHA/IMHA is a very difficult disease but dogs CAN and DO surive it and go on to live happy healthy lives. Be assured you and your most beloved Henri are in my thoughts and prayers during these most difficult days

Joanne MN

I know what you are going through as our 8 month old Pudelpointer was stricken with this last summer. Unfortunately, puppies can get it. We think that ours started with a tick bite out in the field. I am hopeful that Henri will respond to the meds and be on his way back to his regular self sooner than later. He is in the best place possible to receive the care he needs. You will receive support and prayers from ppl. from around the world who are going through the same agony/challenges. Hugs to your pup.

Cynthia Grosse Pointe

jeff & ella- so sorry to hear about henri :( i will keep you in my thoughts and wishing for a full recovery.. was there any flea medication or heartworm given in the days before this problem arose?

josh california

Jeff & Ella, I know how difficult it is for you right now and I am glad you have found this board. The first few days are very scary but there are so many people on this board that will try to help you through them. Unfortunatly it does seem more and more that that very young dogs are diagnosed. Hopefully reading up at Joanne's site will help you understand what is going on and the success stories will give you hope. Please keep us posted. Penny

Penny Lytle Creek Calif

Poor little Henri. Will say prayers for you & he. I'm new to this (unfortunately) & still learning. Just so sad for a baby to get this! Wishing you all the best. Terese

T.Rose Erie

We are most appreciative of everyone's thoughts and prayers. We have already experienced the power of experience and healing thoughts that come from an on-line forum/support group such as this. Our dear Bella (3 yr old Westie) was stricken with Addison's disease last spring. After a gut-wrenching period of recovery, she is doing spectacularyly well. Much of her success can be attributed to the Yahoo Addison's support group that we joined. Experience, especially breed specific, is invaluable to our furkids success. Henri was able to get his transfusion of canine blood over the night and was started on prednisone and several other drugs. Because he is only 10 lbs, they were able to split the blood into two units and we have now have one in reserve if needed. The vet explained that this was valuable due to the fact that each successive transfusion with different blood will dramatically lower his chances (due to additional immune response to the transfused blood). His PCV rose from a low of 9 to 25. It has now held steady at about that level for about 5 hours. They will continue to check it every two hours. The internal medicine vet has been very honest with us regarding his potential outcome. She has seen only 2 other cases of AIHA in a puppy so young. She explained that their testing has pretty much ruled out secondary AIHA and she feels that he has primary IMHA with no apparent cause of his immune collapse. She feels that his case is extremely severe attack with a low probability of a positive reversal in the next 2 to 10 days. In addition, with this occuring at such an early age, it may point towards repeated relapses of this condition or other autoimmune diseases. And finally, the expected course of drug treatment could result in significant developmental and health issues as he ages. With that all said, we are now hoping for a miracle reversal of his condition in the next 24 to 48 hours. He has started out strongly with his reaction to the transfusion and meds. He is drinking, eating, peeing and pooping so that is all positive. We pray that the night goes well and he does not need another transfusion. Hopefully the meds will take a quick hold and turn his situation around. Thank you so much Joanne for the wonderful information in your website. The caring and love that you show for our pets is truly appreciated. Our vet seems to be doing everything outlined in your treatment page. They seem to be leaving no stoned unturned to rule out all of the possible secondary causes. Cynthia, I pray that your beloved furkid has made a recovery from crisis and is maintaining well. Josh, unfortunately he did take his monthly dose of Sentinel on 2/22 and started to decline shortly thereafter (in retrospect). I have not been able to find any specific link to problems with Sentinel on the web and would be most appreciative for any specific information regarding this type of med and autoimmune disease. We are hoping that his autoimmune collapse is related to a blast of several unrelated immune stresses. Possibly Sentinel, teething, viral infection and maybe some form of stress. The quick resolution of these stresses would possibly give him the best chance for recovery and the most optimistic long-term prognosis. Thank you Penny and Therese and everyone else that shares prayers, thoughts, experience and information on this website. We feel blessed to have found this group. Jeff, Ella, Bella and especially Henri

Jeff and Ella Seattle

Henri seems to be holding steady. His PCV is staying in the 22 - 25 range since his one transfusion. The internal medicine vet has upgraded her outlook from extremely dire to guarded optimism. We have all agreed that it is now up to Henri to let us know what path to take. He will remain in the emergency hospital for one more night to get IV fluids to help clear his blood of the destroyed red blood cells. If his PCV remains stable, we will bring him home tomorrow and continue the close monitoring and medication regimen that will be needed. If his PCV drops precipitously, that will be the sign to let him go. We have decided that the need for another emergency blood transfusion will be our sign that his little systems are overwhelmed. If his PCV drops slowly, hopefully he can hang on until his bone marrow production of new red blood cells can ramp up and get him back on track. Keep Henri in your thoughts and cheer him on with what we consider his Miracle recovery. Jeff, Ella, Bella and Henri

Jeff and Ella Seattle

I'm so sorry to hear about Henri. Although is is less common (seemingly) for the pups, I do recall reading other instances here on the board of pups. One positive, is that they are often very regenerative and stronger because they are growing so quickly. I hope this is the case with little Henri, don't give up on him and hopefully your vet can be more optimistic after today! Also, it's not uncommon for the PCV to drop within 24-48 hours of a transfusion, so that alone shouldn't be the deciding factor in in progress. We are hoping and praying for the best for you and little Henri in the coming days! Try to stay positive, I know how hard that can be. melissa and tiggs

melissa slc

Jeff & Ella, Of the dogs on this board that have had to have transfusions it has usually taken more than one. My dog had 3 before she was stable enough to come home. I do believe our dogs let us know what they want us to do. I will be thinking of you all and praying that Henri can beat this. Penny

Penny Lytle Creek Calif

Henri is continuing to hold steady with a PCV of 23 this morning (60 hours post transfusion). It has remained virtually the same since his transfusion. As Henri is only five months old, this strong response it critical to his long-term success. As everyone who has experienced this knows to well, the drugs that our furkids need to beat this crisis can have devastating side-effects and we are told even more so for a developing puppy. That is why we are elated at his continued progress without the need for additional transfusions or medications. His continued response needs to be our guide. He will be coming home later today and we will continue with the monitoring of his PCV and other blood levels while we wait for his bone marrow to start kicking out increasing red blood cells. We appreciate all of your experience, wisdom, and good wishes. Thank you all for your concern. We will keep you updated on his progress. Jeff, Ella and Bella

Jeff and Ella Seattle

Prayers for your little guy. This i such a horrible disease that sneaks in and tries to take our beloved dog. My 4 year old golden retriever, Hunter, was lost to it Oct. 16, 2003. We do know his was brought on by the 6 month heartworm prevention, Proheart6. It had also damaged his liver and he just couldn't beat them both. But there are the gret success stories that make me happy and i pray your Henri will be such a story.

Sandra Texas

HI Im so sorry to read about Henry. My Bertie was 7 months of age when he was diagnosed back in Dec 2005. He needed two blood transfusions over the period of a few days. The drugs given take some time to start working and the blood transfusions are needed to buy time for the drugs to take effect. My Bertie did not shows signs of regeneration once his pcv stabilised for approx 5-6 weeks. Now he is almost 4 years old and you would never know that he was ever so sick. He is the Dec 2008 success story. Hang in there Jeff and Ella. A second transfusion may be needed. My thoughts and prayers are with Henri. Hugs to you all Lisa

Lisa West Aust

Dear Jeff and Ella, I just wanted to say that I am sorry to hear about Henri. My 11 year old Maltese Sh*tzu X was diagnosed nearly 6 weeks ago. Her PCV was 14 on diagnosis so we decided to give her a transfusion. Her PCV then went to 27 afterwards, where it stayed for nearly 3 weeks until we saw a rise to 33, then 37 at last test 2 weeks ago. I was getting quite frustrated that Millie kept holding steady - I expected the rise to happen sooner - especially when clinically she was great! It did happen eventually though.... I guess what I am trying to say to you is please don't despair if PCV stays constant and doesn't go up after 9 days as you hope. The fact that Henri is holding steady is great - it means the destruction has slowed and he is making enough red blood cells to keep up. I've learnt to take things as they come and be patient. I pay more attention to how Millie is within herself, the colour of her gums and her demeanour as well as the PCV. Furthermore, some dogs have non-regenerative anemia, where they don't manufacture red blood cells. It sounds like Henri is regenerative - that gives him one sure fighting chance. Good luck to you both and little Henri, Samantha and Millie

Samantha Geelong

We really appreciate the positive energy that everyone brings to this site. This disease is so confusing in so many ways. Faith and a belief in our furkids power to heal really help get us through. Henri's PCV was measured today (day 5) at 25%. Holding steady (up but not significantly)and we are elated. We realize that this may take awhile and will be happy to see the number slowly ticking up. Lisa, seeing Berties success story really helped. Henri's age really through us for a loop. Everything we read and hear from the vets about this disease always seems to reference mature to older age dogs. The expectations for a puppy seem to be unknow, both in the course of the disease/recovery and the effects of these drugs on his growth and development. We are scared right now for his fight with this disease, but we are also scared about how the treatment may affect him when he pulls through this crisis. Hearing about how Bertie has achieved a full recover without relapse really brings up hope. We will have patience but still hold out hope that his recover can be quick and the tapering of the meds can start as soon as possible. Thanks for everything you do. Jeff, Ella, Bella and baby Henri.

Jeff and Ella Seattle

Henri Update, Day 8: Henri's mamma was worried about him today due to a bit of diahrea and a little less energy than the day before. So instead of waiting four days for his next PCV check, we took him in today. What good news!! His PCV had risen in two days from 25% to 30%!! The whole family is jumping with joy. The vet said that the diahrea was most likely due to the meds. They still saw some aglutination in the blood and were very pleased with his cyclosporin levels. For now they want to keep his medication levels the same. We will go in again on Friday (day 10) and meet with the internist to discuss his progress and make any adjustments. Hopefully the aglutination will continue to decrease, his PCV increase and then maybe we can start to taper the meds. I know, slowly and carefully. We don't want to risk a setback and we take everyone's advice seriously to not get ahead of ourselves. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers, Jeff, Ella, Bella and baby Henri.

Jeff and Ella Seattle

We are happy to hear of Henri's progress and I understand how you can be worried over everything. Lucy wasn't eating well the first few days we brought her home but she has slowly recovered and we are praying for the same for Henri. Yes, patience is an important part of dealing with this horrible disease, so I will include that as part of my prayer for your family. Lee and Lucy

Lee Florida

It's really good to hear positive news like this. Henri is blessed to have parents like you who care for him so much. Keep up the good work Henri. Tessy and I will keep you in our thoughts and prayers. Tessy and Jonathan

Jonathan

Dear Jeff,Ella and Henri, Soooo sorry you're all going thru this....we are too since Feb.17,2009. Our dog is a shepherd 1yr.5mo. old. He almost died after his 3yr. rabies vaccine that day, though I think he's had this for a while. We had him to one of the best Vet Hospitals in the country and were told by his Vet there he can never again be vaccinated.....some dogs/puppies bodies over-react to the vaccines like it's an invader and launch an attack against it to "fight it off"...and attack the red blood cells causing the anemia. It causes this auto-immune response that may never go away...like humans have Lupus. That would explain how a puppy could possibly have this disease, assuming he's had his vaccines. I've researched this alot and many, many people had this happen to their dog after vaccines....also, onion and garlic effect the red count, and yet dog foods have garlic and onion in them. Also stay away from treats with propylene glycol (Busy Bones, etc....) That too can destroy red cells.....I hope your Henri and my Cody overcome this rotten disease! Blessings, Tammy

Tammy N.J. U.S.

Henri's mamma and papa are very happy about Friday's visit with the internist. His PCV was still at 30 but his aglutination had dropped significantly. It is no longer classifed as macro, but now is micro and only seen throught the microscope. The doctor was very pleased with his progress. She wants him to remain on his current drugs and dosages through his next appointment this week (actually tomorrow). Hopefully all signs of aglutination and sperocytes will be gone and we can begin to taper Henri off of the drugs.Hip, Hip Hooray for Henri.Thanks for all of your support. It has really been a big help for all of us. The internist thinks that his IMHA was most likely the result of vacinations but me may never really know for sure. We will update everyone after tomorrow's numbers. Jeff, Ella, Bella and Baby Henri

Jeff and Ella Seattle

This thread was discussed between 26/02/2009 and 10/03/2009

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