Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - It is the expensive vet bills.

Talked to the vet this AM. My bill to date is close to $400.00, and Jack has only been there two days. I am retired and living on a fixed income, so there is a big financial issue here I must face and deal with. It costs $65.00 each time they draw blood, which she said would be at least once a week, although they would prefer to do it twice a week. They will keep him overnight tonight since he ate very little this AM and then threw up. She's going to try a different food. I plan to go see him in the morning and discuss with her treatment plan, expense, etc, so on and so on. I'll get all the stastical medical info. then so I can post that. The reason I mentioned putting him down is because I don't think I can afford this. I certainly don't want to put him down but I may not have a choice. It is an economic issue at this stage. Plus I am very concerned about all the side effects of the steriods. He already has hip dysplasia, which he and I have learned to deal with. Steriods, I've been told further weaken the bones. I'm afraid all the treatments will make him feel worse. And I read about internal bleeding, stomach ulcers, nose bleeds, and on and on. I'm sorry, I am just so distraught by this! I want my Jack back and healthy, like he was before! And my daughter is taking this very hard, as I am. Sorry to vent, but it is good to know I can do that here. It's one hell of a dilemma any way you look at it. Mary

Mary Wright marymciwright@aol.com

I understand. I have been out of work for 2 years and am not well myself (no clue with what the Drs have not ever found what is wrong) Bonnie got sick and while my vet was very kind to me fee wise I still spent $2000 on her in the 3 weeks she was under vet care not counting special food (I bought meat for her as she would not eat dog food). While Bonnie did die 8/4; I think the money spent was worth it. I gave her the chance to fight. My vet is allowing me to make small weekly payments

Rottlady NH USA

I'm so sorry. Talk to your vet and see if they will let you make small payments. I know that steroids can cause some major problems but, they are the cure. Don't let your fear of them stop you. Prednisone is a fairly cheap drug, and the drug of choice for any of these illnesses. I'm praying that your vet will work with you and that you have peace with whatever decision you have to make. Ronda

Ronda Illinois

Mary, if anybody knows what the finacial side of this disease is it's me! I spent over $15000 for Tessy over the course of a year and a half and now I'm literally broke and outta work at the moment. To top things off my other dog Sadie was diagnosed with AIHA just two weeks ago. Being broke definetely makes it much more difficult but it is quite doable. So, what can *you* do to minimize costs? WEll, first off you have to decide if he *needs* to be in the care of the vet right now. You are giving us very limited information right now so it makes it hard for us to make suggestions. Some questions for you... -Is he critical or is he stable and just staying there to be watched? This is where knowing the CBC results would come in handy. What is his current HCT/PCV and platelet count?? Are they stable or going down or going up? -What are the drugs he's using and the dosages with his weight? Again, we can't really recommend anything cause we know none of this. If you can give us this also it would be great. Tell us EVERYTHING they have him on and the amounts. Yes, the treatment will have negative effects on him but likely nothing he can't handle. We can help with suggestions on how to minimize symptoms and drug side effects. If you can be as descriptive and precise as possible that would be awesome. I'll be keeping him in my thoughts and prayers today. Sending you some calming vibes also. Johnny Tessy & Sadie

Johnny

Mary, You must of course make the decision that is right for you. I am sure Jack knows how much you love him and knows that you will do everything that you can possibly do for him. Even if costs were not an issue there is no guarantee that everything will turn out alright. I, like Johnny spent $15,000 (cleaning out our savings)in just one month and we lost our sweet girl anyway. It is a terrible terrible disease and I will always continue to donate to Meisha's Hope for research in the hopes that someday they will know enough that if you do this, this and this your dog will be ok. I feel that our dogs let us know if they are up to the fight you can see it in their eyes. I will keep you both in my thoughts and prayers. Penny

Penny Lytle Creek Calif

does your vet have like a Wellsfargo care credit account. I got approved for some money that way or Rosie would have not been here today.

Pam Il

Hi Mary, Today is the two year anniversary of the day that I lost my five year old Eskimo/Border Collie mix "Sunny" to IMHA. I rarely visit this site anymore, but today I thought I would visit in remembrance of my Sunny. Your post regarding the vet bills really is tugging on my heart strings. Only you can do what is best for your dog and your family, and the others on this site will respect you for your decision. This is a great site for support. I feel the need to tell you our story, because looking back on Sunny's journey, I sometimes wish that the vet would have been more honest with me about his chances of survival and the costs involved. When I say "costs", I mean financial, emotional, and the toll that it took on my beloved dog. Taking care of Sunny took over my life... worrying, very frequent trips to the vet, staying up all night with him, giving him meds, missing some important family outings, etc. My kids cried a lot and my husband and I cried a lot during that time. After all was said and done, a two month battle cost my family over five thousand dollars and we were left with a dog that was suffering horribly. The drive to the vet to have my boy put to sleep was probably the most difficult 30 minutes of my life. I believe that I held on to hope for him for way too long. By the final day, he could not even get up. I had to carry him outside and hold him up so that he could pee. The vet kept telling me that he might survive, that some dogs do. I wonder what the true percentage of survivors is, and what the quality of life is. My dog was only five years old. This note has made me appear bitter towards the vet. I am not, and in fact, she cried with me when we put Sunny to sleep. There was nothing that could have been done to save him. As you have probably read on this site, every dog is different when it comes to this disease. I want to end this note with a positive message. Although I grieved for several months over the loss of my dog, I am able to think about him with fond memories and without crying and sadness. I adopted a new dog and she is the joy of my life. Life does go on and LIFE IS GOOD!!

Leslie CA

Leslie I agree with your post. My vet said that young healthy dogs respond well to aggressive treatment. What was left unsaid though was the fact that sub vet A at the practice had misdiagnosed my girl with some other easy ailment and we lost 4 days of fight time and in those 4 days she started to agglutinate her red cells which DECREASES survival odds GREATLY If he had just been honest and said that to me I would have put my sweet Bonnie to sleep the day of diagnosis instead of fighting the horrible fight that tore her stomach to shreds and ended with a clump/clot moving and ending her life 3 weeks later

Rottlady NH

Jack went in on a Wednesday and died that following Sunday. I saw him that Saturday morning and I knew then that he was so very, very sick that the treatment itself, probably could not save him. Thank God, he passed away, just went to sleep, so I wasn't faced with the awful decision of putting him down. I do know I could not have watched him suffer or struggle to fight the disease, knowing in my heart, he probably wasn't going to beat it. I racked up a $500.00 vet bill which I will be paying off for the next many months. Such a damn waste of a good dog. I don't think over-all the vets are familiar enough with this syndrome to honestly answer questions. Seems to me that Dr. Dodd is the only one who is an expert. I had planned to contact her that Monday, but Jack was already gone.

Mary Wright Gainesville

Most vets ARE completely oblivious to this disease. They know a little and that's it. I've seen on numerous occasions doctors pull out the big vet book to look stuff up cause they thought I was full of sh!t!! What makes things worse is the vets who seem to be offended by a persons knowledge. With regards to bills...there's so many addons they'll include just because the ordinary individual doesn't really know what's what and what's actually needed. I look back at some of Tessy's first bills and it just disgusts me some of the things they charged me! For me...total vet bills from day one is well over $15000 I'd expect. It's been quite awhile since I've added them up. Johnny Tessy Sadie

Johnny

Costs are definitely restrictive in all kinds of treatment for pets the world over. This is such as shame, as many animals are left to suffer because their owners just can't afford treatment at a vet. Too often euthanasia is the option owners choose as the treatment option is just too expensive. I watched RSPCA Animal Rescue on TV last night in Australia, and an owner's elderly dog was hit by a car..... A kind neighbour had noticed the dog was injured and phoned the RSPCA after about a week. The owner obviously loved his dog, but just could not afford to take him to a vet. As he said, the consult fee alone is $70. Cruel to the dog, but the owner is not doing this deliberately. I am lucky to not be as financially restricted as some, however it just makes responsible pet ownership so difficult when the costs are so prohibitive. Millie's stay in the Teaching Hospital cost me $3,000, and I had to laugh when I checked what I was charged for, and I was even charged $5 for the nasal prongs Millie had when she was on oxygen! Can't even get those little plastic things for free! :) Sam & Millie.

Samantha Geelong

This thread was discussed between 13/08/2010 and 24/08/2010

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