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Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Layla-Questions
| Greetings, Does anyone have input on the following: 1) Layla’s norm. weight is 40 lbs. she gained 13 lbs. in 6 weeks! (Pred.) when we discontinue it, how soon could we see weight loss? Will we have to work at it? (I know to take it slow.) She is just not comfortable at this weight, I can tell. That’s like us gaining 1/3 of our body weight in 6 wks. Can you imagine?! I have her on weight control dog food, “Blue Seal”, mixed w/ her old good quality food, switching over gradually. Any suggestion on food welcomed! 2) I have been mixing local, organic beef liver (boiled & minced) in with her food a few times a week. Is this ok? What’s the deal on “Pancreatis” or whatever the spelling is??? Thanks soooo much to all you wonderful dog lovers! This site is a God send! |
| Terese Erie |
| Hi Terese, I understand you concerns, Tiggs is nearly 20 lbs heavier now than he was prior to his diagnosis (was 64, now 80). I don't think what you are seeing is so much discomfort with the weight as it is the overall side effects of the meds, which will subside with reductions in Pred. Alot of it is also fluid retention, which you want to watch, especially in the abdomen area. Tiggs has steadily gained weight since July when he was diagnosed, and no amount of diet or exercise seemed to help him lose weight. It turned out that he developed Hypothyroidism as a result of his IMHA. If Layla will tolerate it, you could do short walks with her that will help keep her body active even if only on a minimal level. It also helps with the muscle wasting. I swear I could hear Tiggs' bones creaking when he was on 120 mg of Pred/day- it was an extremely high, albeit effective dose. I am really not sure about feeding the liver- I was hoping Patrice would chime in because I know I read somewhere that they shouldn't have it...However, we fed tiggs alot of boiled chicken, steamed white rice, boiled white and sweet potatoes, etc. You are right, they are at a very increased risk of Pancreatitis, so no extra fat in their diet is important- again Patrice or Joanne could probably elaborate on the biology behind this. Overall, their immune systems are so compromised, that they are very susceptible to Pancreatitis and infection. Hopefully more can chime in. Glad that Layla's numbers are looking better! melissa and tiggs |
| melissa slc |
| Terese, Our Holly was like 11lbs and is now around 15, she is a dachshund, so we really have to watch the weight. She gets other things to help with her hunger, like little bannana in the morning, little apple at night, plain rice cakes in the afternoon and a few green beans before dinner. She does eat 3 meals a day, but morning and lunch are about like 10 kernels of food. My fear is that from the prednisone making her hungry all the time that now her stomach has stretched and she will always be hungry. Linda |
| Linda Sapphire |
This thread was discussed on 27/02/2009
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