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Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Just got back from the vet - Riley's PCV
| Well, I took Riley up to get a whole heap of medications that he has run out of, Atopica, prednisone, azathioprine, and to get an in-house PCV done. Riley has struggled last few days with the heat, panting etc, but today he seems ok - well as ok as a dog is with this illness - he wobbled in to the surgery and sniffed the vet up and down and growled at another dog that came in. It came back as only 26 - down from the 34.6 that was spun last week in-house, and even further down from the external result of 28! We were stunned. The vet recommended sending out for the full CBC to see whether that is much different, and if the last test was anything to go by, its likely to be even lower than this! Yet Riley's last total red blood cell count was the highest that it has ever been at 4.52 (reference range is 5.50-8.50). I dont get it. I will post tomorrow what the CBC results are. I know we are ruled by numbers and I try not to let it get to me, but has this happened to you, and is there something I should be watching out for? Thank you Silka |
| Silka Melbourne Australia |
| Silka, this is indeed interesting to hear. I wonder when the last time was that your vet callibrated their analyzer? Was the 26% a Hematocrit or a PCV? If it were a HCT then there wouldn't be a whole lot of worry but if the 34.6 was also a HCT....which I highly doubt because the RBC is up...then one might worry. Did they look at a smear at least. With any drop they should always look at one to see what they can see. I'ld assume the 34.6 is a PCV and the 28 & 26 are HCT's. PCV's are usually always higher. Several things can affect the crit. Dehydration being right up there. Hydration from test to test can have a big influence in the numbers. Example...if Riley drank lots more water this time and the last time he went in he was dehydrated then the numbers would have a bigger gap. I've also found that the time of day affects the numbers also. I always try to take Tessy at the same time of the day whenever we go in. Being excited, hungry, tired, can also affect a crit. Does he always get his medicine on time without missing any doses? I'm pretty sure I might have missed a dose with Tessy earlier on in the year and I think this is what made her drop 8 points. I think that the fact that the RBC is going up is a very positive sign. Did the HGB also rise? Can't wait to hear the results from the CBC. Keep us posted. Prayers and best wishes. Johnny & Tessy |
| Johnny |
| Silka, I am glad you are having the full CBC done that should give you some insight. Just be warned that the PCV will most likely come back lower as it can show a difference of up to 10% from the HCT which is the spun one and as Johnnie mentioned their calibration could be off. My vet has mentioned htat in the past. Keep us posted Laurie and Wylie |
| Laurie CA |
| Silka, It's a good sign that the red blood cell total count is rising. This means that the reticulocytes are changing into red blood cells. This is a rather complex time for the body as this change occurs. We normally destroy old red blood cells everyday and make more red blood cells to replace them everyday too. But its not done in quite the large quantity that a dog who has lost a large portion of the red blood cells. This means that there are a lot more cells that are not all at the same stage of development circulating in the blood. They aren't quite mature red blood cells, but not really reticulocytes either. This can lead to some imperfections in how the CBC sees all these cells. In addition, these new cells may not be carrying the full amount of hemoglobin that they will be capable of carrying. This means that they are not carrying a full load of oxygen to the cells. This could lead to the kinds of signs and symptoms you are seeing: panting, dizziness, irritability. Think of how you feel if you try to go out and do a 2 mile run in really hot weather. Out of breath, lightheaded and anxious. If this were me, I would want a smear done to identify the types of cells to see what is happening to them at this stage. Are these new cells really well made? Are there other odd cell types in there that might indicate a problem? I am pretty sure these will be seen as something other than mature, viable red blood cells during the test. I would not think so much of numbers but rather assess how Riley feels and behaves. Is he eating, are his gums a good color and is his refill time good? my best patrice |
| Patrice NYS |
This thread was discussed on 13/01/2010
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