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Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Lincoln the Lab and AIHA
| Hello everyone. As like most of you, I have been on the AIHA rollercoaster for the past few weeks with my precious black lab, Lincoln. Back in early January, Lincoln suddenly became lethargic. He was still eating, drinking, wanting to go for walks, etc, but just wasn't his usual lab-energetic self. I took him into the vet on January 20 and she immediately noticed that the inside of his ears were pale and his gums had very little color. She said Lincoln was anemic and once I understood how severe that was, the multitude of tests began. Lincoln's first PCV count was at 10%. His vet prepared me for the worst, however she continue to be puzzled by Lincoln's outwardly appearance...it did not match someone with such a low PCV. She ran a Reticulocyte test and when the results came back at 3220. Again, she was amazed that he was still perking up for other dogs in the office, drinking water normally, excited about treats (that they used to stuff the pills), etc. We opted not to do a blood transfusion as she didn't think he would survive. Because he was in no pain or discomfort, I was able to take him home that night and we would return the following morning. That day, Lincoln's vet started a dosage of Prednisone, Carafate, Pepcid, Imuran, 1/4 tablet of a baby aspirin and Doxycycline. We went home and Lincoln ate a normal dinner. He made it through the night and woke up the next day a little better than the previous day. I was encouraged as he even trotted around the back yard as we walked out to the car to head to our vet appointment. Lincoln amazed the entire staff when he walked into the office appearing better thant he previous day. They started the usual vital tests and heart, pulse, temperature and everything was normal. They ran the PCV test and to everyone's surprise, Lincoln had dropped to 8%! How could a dog that appeared to be feeling much better than the previous day, have an even worse PCV result? At this point, the only option was to do a blood transfusion as a last resort and the bone marrow aspiration. He reacted just fine to the blood transfusion, almost looking a little bored. The bone marrow aspiration was a non-event, too. Immediately after he had the transfusion and the aspiration, he went outside of the vet's office to go to the bathroom and he was his old lab exploring self. Although he wasn't cleared to leave just yet, he remained normal the rest of that day. They ran a PCV test and it came back at 13% after the transfusion. Considering he started at 8, 13 seemed like a gift! That weekend, Lincoln continued to improve and color started to return to his ears and gums. The hardest part was ignoring him sitting by the leash or front door wanting to go for a walk (his activity was limited). On Monday, we went in for a PCV test and he jumped to 20%. Although he was still not in the normal range, we considered him a miracle and were thrilled to watch him improve greatly. He continued to do well that week, acting peppy and normal. On Thursday, I took him in for another test and he dropped to 18. A little disappointing, but because he still had his coloring and activity levels, I wasn't going to give up. They ran another reticulocyte test and he was up to 6800, which was a sign of improvement. He started Cyclosporine (in addition to the previous combo of drugs) at this time (when he dropped to 18)and dropped the Imuran. He has been on this combo for a week and went in on Monday for a PCV check. He had gone up to 20 again! He had a great week, but on Friday (yesterday) he wasn't acting his normal self. I noticed that he was looking a little pale and that he was panting and had a rapid heart rate. We went into the Emergency Vet Hospital last night and his count had dropped to 16. He also had a little bit of a fever. Today we went to the vet and she drew blood to do another reticulocyte test again (results on Monday). I mentioned that perhaps the fact that he stopped the Doxycycline on Monday might have something to do with his drop. She didn't think so, but since there is no harm in him being on it, we have now added it back to his "cocktail" of medicines. I should mention that she did run a tick panel and that came back negative. So here we are about 3 weeks later and he is still much better than the 8%, but not improving like I thought he would. This forum has given me insight into the reality of the actual time it takes for some of these meds to kick in and I am hoping that we can find a combo that works for Lincoln. Right now he is sleeping (catching up from last night's all-nighter at the ER) and acting fine. He is still not as pink as I would like with his ears and gums, but he had a normal rest of the day where he ate, begged for treats, normal bathroom behavior, and generally his normal self. We go back in on Tuesday for another PCV test. I think the hardest part about this terrible disease is not knowing "why" or "how". When we were running all of the possible tests, it might have been easier to get a different diagnosis than AIHA/IMHA, but after reading this forum and visiting Meisha's Hope page, I am encouraged that with the continued fighting spirit that Lincoln has, he might just make it to her website as a survivor. |
| Polly Kruse Denver |
| Dear Polly, I am so sorry you and your special friend Lincoln have to deal with this disease. It sounds like you have done a lot of research, found the Meisha's Hope website and have already read lots of posts on this board. With all this knowledge you are much better prepared to make decisions and care for Lincoln. I am sure you have found the success stories on the Meisha's Hope website too. It also sounds like your vet is right on the ball. There is really not much that I could add or recommend. Maybe you could tell us what you feed Lincoln and if you give him any supplements? You have already found out it is a bumpy roller coaster ride and you need to be very patient. You have the right attitude! Stay positive and keep up the fight! Best wishes, Brigitte & the poodle boys |
| Brigitte BC Canada |
| Dear Polly, I am so sorry to hear that Lincoln has been diagnosed with this awful disease. You mentioned that you still have Lincoln on Doxy, even though he tested negative on his tick panel? From what I know, Doxy stimulates the immune system - which is not really what you want at the moment. Just something to discuss with your vet perhaps? You do need to be patient, hopefully the reticulocyte count improves. Also ask your vet about spherocytes, these are damaged red blood cells that indicate the immune system is still destroying red blood cells. Keep us posted on Lincoln's progress. Samantha & Millie. |
| Samantha Geelong Australia |
| Hi Polly. Did you get the results back yesterday (Monday)?? I'm curious as to the type of anemia he has. With a reticulocyte count that low you would usually see a faster drop in the hematocrit/PCV unless there's very little destruction occuring. I'd also consider the 18% draw and the 20% draw to be the same...meaning he was stable. I also be questioning the usage of doxycycline since the tick panel came back negative. Anywho...yeah, just looking for an update. My thoughts and prayers are with you and Lincoln. Johnny & Tessy |
| Johnny |
This thread was discussed between 13/02/2011 and 15/02/2011
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