Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Kahlu Results 20/07

I just got of the phone with the vet and I want to share! After a 33% pred reduction 3 1/2 weeks ago and an over 3000 mile road trip, Kahlu's RBC went from 5.5 to 6. His Hematocrit from 0.42 to 0.46. Needless to say that makes me very happy. His ALP and GGT went down significantly his ALP is however still high at 665. My gut feeling was to reduce the Aza at this point and the vet agreed. She wanted to go to 25mg eod and I suggested to go every 36 hours for 2 weeks first. Just to make it a bit more gradual and avoid the pill cutting or compounding. Sucralfate, Misoprostol (stomach protectants) Zentonil and milk thistle (liver support) will stay at the same doses. We will phase out the supplements (folic acid, iron, Vitamin B) over the next month. I will also keep him on Omega3 and Cranberry extract. He is still on Antibiotics for UTI. They have been coming back constantly. We will have to do a culture for that again in 10 days or so. Kahlu had the first real swim in the river yesterday and loved it. He has no problem jumping in the van (or on the bed and couch!) anymore. He is lifting his leg much more then crouching and does again his beautiful stretches when he gets up. A few months ago his muscles were to weak to even do that or to shake himself. I know we are not "done" quite yet. The fear of a relapse will never go away. The vet said you can reduce the drugs as slow as you want, if the trigger is still there, he will relapse. Since we don't know what the trigger was... But we are staying positive, still taking one day at a time. The joy of seeing Kahlu getting better and becoming his old goofy self again, is as big as the sorrow was when he got ill. Thanks for always listening and all your advice and suggestions! Best wishes to everybody, Brigitte & Kahlu

Brigitte BC Canada

Brigitte, that's wonderfull news for Kahlu! Great to hear that he is getting of the meds also. They're so hard on our little babies. I can notice a big difference everytime I reduce Tessy's meds. Thismorning I started another reduction of her pred and now she's down to 10mg/day. Aza and Cyclo remains the same as well as the supplements and protectants. I can only imagine the joy you're going through with him getting his strength back. I shaved Tessy the other day and now she seems like a totally different dog. She wants to play more and even goes to bed with me now. She hasn't done that for ages! The bad thing as always is the unknown triggers. I stress myself out all the time because of this. Not knowing what caused it kinda makes a person avoid everything that might have caused it. I just wonder one thing. Will the same trigger cause this disease each time or maybe it was just a fluke or something. Let's say for example it was something they ate. Will that same food cause AIHA again or will the immune system look at it differently this time around. I'll probably always worry about every little possible trigger there might be but maybe I'm just over stressing. Either way....when you were saying "if the trigger is still there, he will relapse" maybe it's possible he won't this time around?!?!? Just trying to keep a positive note on this all, which I know is hard sometimes. The main thing is that you are getting your little baby back to the way he was. YAYYYYYYYYYYY Keep up the good work Kahlu and Brigitte. Hugs from Johnny & Tessy

Johnny

Johnny, what a good thought! In Kahlu's case i think it was an accumulation of things. Here goes the gut feeling again. His immunizations were 3 months before diagnosis, advantage 3 weeks before and then he ate some cleaner 3 days before. Who knows? But like you say, the same trigger might also NOT set the whole thing off again. Maybe with a relapse it can also be something totally different. Oh gosh, we will all be avoiding this and that! I think the answer is, not to take any unnecessary risks, like immunizations and just be careful and outweigh the risks and benefits with any other chemicals. Best wishes to you and Tessy, Brigitte & Kahlu

Brigitte BC Canada

Bravo Brigitte, Bravo Kahlu! Great news, great numbers. Such a great relief I'm sure! melissa and tiggs

melissa slc

Brigitte -- congratulations to you and Kahlu. I am sure that that first jump in the river gave you a bit of a worry, but as they get better, it's great for them to do the things they loved. Take care and keep up the good work!

Brenda VA

Hey Brigitte, Sounds like great progress for Kahlu. Well done to you both... It's so great to see so many more success storied on this site these days. I think so many of our dogs were diagnoised over the same period of time and we were all distressed and totally uneducated. Now were are happy and fully understand what this disease is all about. Here to contiuned improvement :) Sam & Madison...

Samantha Perth Australia

sooo happy for you and kahlu!!!! cj

carol

Thats great news and we are very happy for you! Sounds like Kahlu is having a great summer. Cheryl & Ginger

Cheryl & Ginger Pineville PA

Brigitte, Congratulations on all fronts!!!!! You have continued to fight the good fight and along the way you have helped numerous folks like myself and Cooper with valuable information, insight, and compassion in our own quest to defeat this terrible disease. Cooper's meds are now at 30mgPred EOD and Aza at 37 1/2 mg every day. We will be back at the vets on Thursday for a PCV and Super Chem Panel. Our next move with positive results woill be to reduce the Aza to 25mg per day. Brigitte you and Kahlu have truly been an inspiration. Keep up the good work. RON&COOPER

Ron Florida

Thank you everybody for your congrats and sharing our happiness! Ron, I was a bit surprised, that Cooper is on 30mg pred EOD. Usually it has to come down quite a bit more before that is done. But this shows again, that there are more than one possibility to reach the same goal. Just to confuse us.... Brigitte & Kahlu

Brigitte BC Canada

Many many congratulations to you and Kahlu, everyone knows what a daily struggle it is to keep positive - but you've done it Brigitte - you've got your reward - I could not think of a trigger for Phoebe but then reading your post I remembered that just before she was diagnosed she had been suffering from a cough - the vet said she thought it was kennel cough (although i had my suspicions that this was not the case as phoebe rarely mixes with other dogs as she is frightened of them!) but she was given a immunisation for kennel cough and you have just reminded me of this - I think I've just found my trigger!!!! All our love and best wishes for Kahlu's continuing recovery Gill & Phoebe xx

gill uk

That is such great news for Kahlu! Laurie

Laurie CA

This thread was discussed between 20/07/2009 and 22/07/2009

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