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Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - incresed WCC using pred for AIHA
| My 5 year old Shih-tzu was diagnosed with AIHA in Aug.2007. He was placed on 30 mg prednisone a day and when after three weeks of no response to the pred, he was placed on azithioprine 12.5mg. daily. He had cat scans and tests for underlying causes for his AIHA with nothing found. His RBC increased to 30 and his pred. was decreased to 15mg and the azi was decreased to every other day. He was eventually tapered to 5mg of prednisone and azi every other day. He had less side effects from the pred.on the 5 mg. His RBC count has been holding steady but since May, 2008, his WBC count has been increasing. He seems to be acting fine, even running and playing but the vet is concerned that the elevated neutrophils and total WBC is indicative of an acute active infection and has increased his pred. back up to 7.5mg daily and increased the azi to 12.5 mg daily and added batril twice daily. I'm afraid the "cure" is going to kill this dog. He is absolutely miserable and I'm pretty sure its because of the increase of meds. Everything I have been reading has focused on the RBC levels. Toby's are fine. Should this vet be treating him for elevated WBC? If so, wouldn't just covering him with the batril for some possible bacterial infection be enough? |
| Virginia Connecticut |
| Hi Virginia. Did your vet test for a bladder infection? Prednisone can make our dogs susceptible to urinary tract infections. I too find it puzzling that your vet would increase the prednisone in response to an elevated WCC when Toby's PCV is stable. You said that Toby's PCV went up to 30 which isn't a normal reading. Did he ever get any higher than that? When my dog was on immunosuppressive doses of prednisone, his WCC was high. The specialist who was treating him at the time explained that it was because of the high doses of prednisone. So it doesn't make sense to increase the prednisone in an attempt to bring the WCC down. Hopefully others on the site will have some more ideas for you. But I would question the prednisone and azathioprine increase if it was my dog. Please keep us posted. deb and Duck (the dog) |
| Debbie BC Canada |
| I started him on the Batril yesterday and he was covered in a rash last night. It looked like a combination of german measles and chicken pox. He had gone to the groomers on Saturday for just a bath and nails trim. I don't know if it was the Batril, though he has been on it before, or the bath at ther groomers, thought that has been his groomer all his life. I was at the vet at 9pm last night because today is Thanksgiving and the world, except for retail stores, stops today. The vet has no idea of what the rash is about. He said to DC the Batril. I have to bring Toby back in on Friday. I did ask more about his blood counts. In June, his RBC was 46 and WCC was 24000, He kept him on the 5mg of pred daily and 12.5 azi every other day. In Sept. his RBC dropped to 36.4 and his WCC was 34000. He upped the pred to 6.25mg daily and kept the azi to 12.5 every other day. This time his RBC was 35 and his WCC was 41000. He upped the pred to 7.5mg and the azi to 12.5mg every day and added the Batril. This all started in August 2007 when his PCV had dropped to 17. Its been 15 months and this poor dog cannot come off the meds and the lowest dose we were able to use was 5mg pred daily and 12.5mg azi every other day. And that was only for two months. He has gained 6 pounds on the pred. He started out at 12 pounds and is now 18. You can tell right away when his meds are increased. He has all the negative side effects. Its been 15 months. If keeping him alive means he has to live like this, is this quality of life? I don't mind the meds and the vet bills if he was happy. When we reach these doses of meds, he isn't happy. He's miserable. |
| Virginia Riveccio vriv1@sbcglobal.net |
This thread was discussed between 26/11/2008 and 27/11/2008
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