Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Macy

Wow.....my 4 year old Macy was diagnosed with AIHS just two days ago. Four days ago she was running around and playing with a lot energy. Doesn't seem fair. Reading other posts has helped to know that I am not alone. She is like a daughter to me so this has been one of the hardest weeks of my life. She had a transfusion yesterday and her PAC count grew from 14 to 24 so we are hopeful we are headed in the right direction. The vet sent her home with us and prescribed the prednisone and azathiorprine that others have written about on this site. Doxycycline was also prescribed. I guess my question is one that no one has the answer to but I am just worried sick about her fate, I tear up at the thought of losing her, and I am willing to do anything to save her life and get her back to "normal". I just want to manage my expectations at the same time. I have heard and read 50/50 in terms of survival. Is this true given all these drugs/steroids or is that figure just based on the disease if left untreated? She is home now resting and will only eat a little bit of burger or chicken. Any advice is welcomed. I am just a mess right now.

Darren Long Beach

Hi Darren I am so sorry to hear about Macy. This certainly is a scary disease. It does sound like you have a good attending vet who has done everything right so far. This certainly helps. I can assure you that dogs DO survive this disease. My 12 year old Millie is a one year survivor but in that first two weeks post diagnosis I could never have imagined getting this far. You need to stay strong, give Macy lots of love and really research this disease. Check out the post from Joanne today with the January success story. Read there and they will give you hope. Keep up posted on Macy. Samantha and Millie.

Samantha Geelong Australia

Darren: Keep the faith. My "Shadow" was diagnosed with AIHA two years and two months ago. She (a "terrible-terrier"-mix had jumped over the six-foot vinyl fence (as was her habit) on October 15; on October 16 (2008), she couldn't lift her head or body out of her bed. Talk about freak out; my "circus" dog couldn't get out of bed! I, needless to say, rushed her to the local vet clinic. There, the vet did preliminary (and fast) blood studies (she knew Shadow for the "clown" she was, and recognized the change in 'Doe's behavior. When the preliminary blood studies came back, Dr. Sheila recommended that I take Shadow to SLC (180 miles away from Shad's and my rural location). dr. Beckstead also had the courtesy to caution me that she doubted that Shadow would make it to the vet clinic in SLC, she was in that dire a circumstance.) Shadow made it to the vet clinic in SLC. She had an artificial blood transfusion, then a blood transfusion from a universal (greyhound) donor. Her situation was still precarious. Her SLC vet (Dr. Curtis Lupo of Cottonwood Veterinary Clinic) refused to give up on her (I think she's one of the few mixed-breeds who's ever visited Cottonwood). He located a typed and cross-matched blood donor (no easy feat when you consider that there 11 types of dog blood), and arranged for Shadow to have two donations - spaced across a few weeks - from that donor (Max, a Great Dane). Shadow's been AIHA-free and AIHA-debilitating-drug-free for a year and a half. She is proof positive that miracles can, and do, happen. She was knocking on death's doorstep in October, 2008. Today, she is a happy, healthy, shiny-coated black-coated terrier mix who's bought with AIHA is a distant memory to her, but a constant memory to me. Macy can, and may, recover. Get her the best possible treatment that you can afford; stay by her side during her treatment and remind her of what a loved, cherished, good girl she is to you. Best wishes for a successful recovery for Macy and a long, happy life between you two.

Sandy Hansen Utah

Hey Darren, Keep the faith!! My Coco was diagnoised on the 18th and while it has been a roller coaster ride with her I think I have found a vet with enough knowledge to really help her. We are looking into a blood transfusion for her now. Her hct has dropped from 48 to 14 in two weeks but her first vet only had her on predisone. You will find everyones posts full of valuable information and support. While the predisone has given Coco a HUGE appetite one of the best things for her is the cottage cheese, great protein and easily digestable. I mixed it with white rice. When I switched to brown rice it was going right through not being digested. So its back to white for now. My prayers are with you and Macy, although like Samantha said it sounds like you have found a good vet. Keep us posted and Happy New Years Kelly

Kelly Redding

Darren, I am so sorry this is happening to your girl. You came to the right place for advice and compassion. There are so many people here that have gone and are still going through the same thing. No doubt, this is a very serious disease, but don't get hung up on survival percentages. Many dogs have survived and you have to be positive and count on Macy surviving too. If you have not already done so, go to Joanne's website and read as much as you can. Make sure you read the success stories. I remember how much hope they gave me. http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/newhope.htm Give Macy lots of love and make sure she rests a lot. the illness and all the healing she has to do will take a lot out of her. Be prepared to take her out a lot, because the prednisone will make her drink lots and in return she will have to pee lots. It sounds like your Vet is experienced with AIHA and you are in good hands. Don't be afraid to ask him/her lots of questions. You will become a good customer and it is good to be well informed. Ask for print outs of the blood tests. they will come in handy later on as you see trends of numbers increasing and decreasing. I am assuming Macy is also on some sort of a stomach protectant? She might not be very hungry right now, but that will most likely change as soon as the prednisone kicks in. Then she will become an eating monster! Try and keep her food as lean as possible. Steamed chicken breast, white fish, veggies, no grain are good choices. I guess I have to stop now, and get ready for the celebrations. We have lots to celebrate. It was an awful year, starting with our Standard Poodle Kahlu getting sick. It ended good with him being his old self again. I am thinking of you and all the other pet owners when we crack the champagne at 12. best wishes, Brigitte & Kahlu

Brigitte BC Canada

Darren, Try to put the 50-50 number in the back of your head and use your energy to concentrate on the now. Some Vets automatically pronounce it as a death sentence on diagnosis. Left untreated it most likely would be. Go to Joanne's page and read the success stories. A lot of those dogs beat incredible odds. No one knows why some dogs make it and others don't regardless of the treatment. That is why even after 3 years since I lost my dear dog I continue to send donations to Meisha's Hope so it can fund the research that hopefully will give us better answers. Be careful with the red meat. Too much can bring on pancreatitis.

Penny Lytle Creek Calif

Hi Darren, I'm so sorry that you have had the need to join us here. But, we're all a big family, and we stick together, so you're in the right place for support and information. My dog Tiggs was diagnosed with AIHA in July of 2008- he was recently a success story on Joanne's Meisha's Hope site! That site was, and is, instrumental in our life with AIHA. Tiggs is in remission from AIHA (well, sort of...he was recently diagnosed with ITP, or Immune Mediated Thrombocytopenia, but I digress). Tiggs was off of all meds for this disease for quite some time and has been doing remarkably well, even with his setback with ITP (platelet issue, not red cell) which has required him to go back on some meds. We have met so many people here whose dogs have done so well, and though we do grieve deeply the ones who don't make it, it seems that the old statistics that you find online are far too grim from all of the wonderful successes we enjoy here together. With a positive attitude and a knowledgable vet, those odds go up and up. Stay strong, ask anything here, and give Macy all of the love and hope you can! melissa and tiggs

melissa slc

Thank you all so much. Believe it or not, I am 35 years old and this has completely changed me as a person already. I see how much I was taking for granted. Now, for the first time in probably 20 years I am staying in on New Year's just relaxing with my family and finding comfort in your posts. They mean a lot at this difficult time and I guess feeling connected even to strangers is extremely comforting. Thank you again and best wishes to you all in 2010. You seem like huge hearted dog lovers, the best kind of people. Please keep the advice coming....

Darren Northam Long Beach

I voice the same thoughts as everyone else has so far. This is an awful disease, it can tear you up and make your pup feel terrible. It can take a long time to get it into remission, but it can happen. And it happens all the time for many, many pups. You just need to focus on right now and everything that can be done. Keep your spirits high and fight with all your might. Your pup will do the same. Read through everything on this site and don't be afraid to ask questions of your vet. It can be a battle, but a battle that can be won. Good luck.

Mardi Northern Calif

Hi Darren. I'm sorry to hear your beloved Macy has gotten this horrid disease. Regardless what Macy's percentages of survival are you just upped her chances significantly by finding this site and educating yourself. The best place for you or anybody dealing with this disease for the first time is to read everything you can about it. Educate yourself. There'll be tonnes of terminology you probably won't understand. That's why the reading and learning is so important. That way you'll be able to ask the doctors the right questions. This site was the Holy Grail for me. You've got some great advise above. Have they done ultrasounds or xrays to check for causes? Has Macy had vaccines lately? Have they started her on any antibiotics? Many newly diagnosed dogs will be put on an antibiotic (doxy?) from the get go just in case there's an infection somewhere lurking. Have them check her for tick diseases. It might also be worth whileto have them check her thyroid. Have you treated Macy for heartworm/fleas/etc? Frontline/advantage/etc.? INSIST on them to check these things. Very inportant to rule things out. This early in the fight it might be benificial to have them recheck the blood work every day or two. It's important ot keep a good eye on Macy to watch for downward trends...they can happen fast!!! Try to keep her eating a healthy diet for now. NO soy, corn, or grain products. You can boil brocolli, carrots, sweet potatoes, white fish, liver/beef heart, roast beef, squash, etc. ....just to name a few. Like they were saying above...expect lots of drinking and make sure there's always some clean fresh water for her at all times. Stomach protectants!!! Get one for her. Milk Thistle....very benificial for the liver while she's on these drugs. What does Macy weigh? What are the dosages for her drugs? Please do get copies of all results from the vets. They shouldn't have a problem with this and if they do insist you get them. I'll keep Macy in my thoughts and prayers. Strong healing vibes coming her way. Johnny & Tessy

Johnny

Hi Darren - I'm sorry to read about Macy - many of us here know how you are feeling right now. In addition to what others have said, you may want to add a stomach protectant, like Pepcid, to Macy's med regimen. The meds she's taking can cause nausea & other GI issues. My dog is ~45lbs. and he was on 20mg of Pepcid twice a day - but ask your vet what would be right for Macy. And, if she gets picky about eating, you might try plain meat baby food (be sure there are NO onions) - it's easily digestible and very palatable. As Penny said, be careful of foods that are too fatty right now while she's on the pred and aza. Beyond that, it's so important to find a vet who has experience with treating this disease AND is willing to work with you to find what works to help Macy. Take care - Bonnie

Bonnie Chicago

Hi Darren I too am sorry to hear about Macy, and know how you must be feeling. Im a relatively new member to this wonderful "connected group of strangers" who somehow are not strangers. Lots of great advice here from veterans of this illness and many are survivors - something we all wish for. It is a shock to find that this happens to your dog, something that I had not ever heard of, now I ask as many questions as I can, write them down. I also keep a spreadsheet so I can track the results as we go - get copies of everything. Take care with the food - pancreatitis is not fun for the doggy, as I well know. Best wishes to you both and post often with progress Silka & Riley (diagnosed on 3 September 09) PS. Read Meisha's Hope website, and also the archives here. You will be amazed at what some of these dogs have overcome.

Silka Melbourne Australia

Darren, We have all been where you are now. There is so much fear. Read all you can read about this terrible disease. You will probably feel overwhelmed with all the medications and terminology about AIHA/IMHA. Keep in mind that this disease is not a death sentence! Make sure your Vet is fully knowledgeable about AIHA. Sadly, there are so many Vets that have no clue. Prepare yourself for some changes in Macy. She will probably experience some of the side effects of the medications. Excessive thirst, urination, sometimes there is stomach upset and diarrhea. There are also physical changes that may occur, weight gain, pot belly, etc. There are many threads on this site that deal with these issues. Mostly, keep yourself strong and positive. Try not to show your sadness around Macy (they can detect that), hold her and comfort her. You and Macy are in our prayers. Sue & Ren (two year survivor and one year relapse survivor)

Susie delaware

Hello Darren. Just checking in with you and Macy, hope you and your family had a wonderful New Years and Ms Macy is doing great. Keep us posted and know that we are all thinking of you guys. Kelly

Kelly redding

Well, as I said yesterday....your posts and well wishes are invaluable. Macy is pretty much the same as she was yesterday. Still not really eating but an occassional burst of energy (she chased some birds with her sister in our backyard for a minute)but then became very tired and lethargic. I have a few questions....Kelly mentioned that the prednisone gave Coco a big appetite. How long does this generally take to kick in? Macy is not eating much at all. My vet put her on two Pepcid AC tablets (20 mg) per day. She threw up once last night and once this afternoon. My vet also prscribed Sucralf- 10 ml twice per day. I believe this is for the stomach as well. Johnny, the results came back today for ticks and good news-bad news. She did not have this caused by ticks which my vet said would have been better because it would have been an isolated incident vs. a long term recurring problem. I have her on Revolution which is a flea/heartworm preventative. Macy weights 55 pounds and the vet recommended 2 20mg pills of prednisone twice per day so this is 80 mgs per 24 hour period. She is also on one pill a day of azathioprine at 50mg. She goes back to the vet in the morning for another blood test. I feel fortunate to be working with a vet who cares enough to call my on New Year's day and give me an update/see how she is doing. He is also working with a specialist which is great as well. Now I know more about what questions to ask. As mentioned before, I was devasted before and in complete shock so I didn't even know what to ask. My main questions are how long did it take for your dogs to get an appetite back? When this happens I assume this is a good sign? Is this due to the prednisone kicking in? How long before the azathioprine works (up to six weeks?) and what does it do? Is one vomit per day acceptable? Thank you....

Darren Long Beach

I was just wondering if your vet has every mentioned cyclosporine, the pred and aza alone did not really help my dog, but the cyclosporine really did and had a lot less side effects on Ginger, it is expensive. I think it took about a week before Gingers appetite really pick up and before it did we tried pretty much everything to get her to eat, so maybe you can try a few different foods, ones she does not normally eat, like a steak or chicken. For a while the only thing Ginger would eat was homemade dog treats. We are keeping you and Macy in our prayers, Cheryl & Ginger

Cheryl & Ginger Pineville PA

Hi Darren, Sounds like the doses of the meds are right - you do have a vet that cares and is obviously quite savvy about the treatment of IMHA. The Prednisone will kick in, most likely over about 2 weeks. You should see Macy's appetite and thirst increase very soon, and yes, it is due to the Pred. Prednisone can take around 1-2 weeks to fully take effect, and Azathioprine can take up to 6 weeks. These drugs are very hard on their bodies, so it's great that your vet has Macy on Pepcid. I can tell you initially, it probably took my dog Millie about 2 weeks to really start to improve. Following her transfusion, she didn't have an appetite for about a week and a half (following intensive treatment at an ER for about 4 days). I am (like many others on this forum), worried that products such as Revolution can trigger IMHA. Many owners on this forum have blamed Frontline in particular for their dogs illness. Although my Millie's IMHA was most likely due to her vaccination, I do not treat her with ANY of these topical products for fear of a relapse. Other owners treat their IMHA dogs with these products and have no problems. Maybe this is something you can give some thought to, and Revolution may have been the trigger for Macy's IMHA. Darren, please let us know Macy's PCV. Keep us posted, but it does sound like she is getting the best care and you just have to push through this first month or so, which is most definitely the hardest. Samantha & Millie.

Samantha Geelong

Darren, You said that the vet was using doxycycline in case this was a tick disease. I belong to a tick forum and over the years I have heard of a lot of dogs on this drug losing their appetite and behaving as though food bothered them. I think once you remove this drug from the treatment protocol, you should see a gradual increase in appetite. Prednisone is an appetite stimulant so you should see a big increase in a few days. (Along with much more drinking and peeing, round the clock) The pepcid is excellent to protect the stomach from damage by the doxy or the prednisone. And the sucralfate is there to provide a coating to the stomach and esophagus to heal them in case there has been any erosive spots from these meds. However, be sure to space the sucralfate away from any medications or food by at least 2 hours. It can interfere with absorption of them. Giving it at bedtime on an overnight fast is really the best time if you can manage that. It sounds like your vet is very knowledgeable and is doing all the right things for Macy. my best patrice

Patrice NYS

I had given Riley a Revolution spot-on treatment the Monday before he had his first symptom - not IMHA - but IMT - Immune Mediated Thrombocytopenia - he was bleeding from the rear when I took him for a walk. The vet said there was no evidence that this could be linked, but I dont think they know. I did just post in another thread that a few weeks prior to this, my two dogs were playing and chasing each other through the house while my daughter was doing my hair - and she noticed a spot of blood on the floor - we wouldnt tell where it was from, and neither dog had any sign of it, but now I think that it was from Riley's nose -I believe the platelets were starting to get low, in retrospect. Same treatment for IMT and his blood count in every other aspect was normal, but he had a major bleed when I brought him home - in emergency for 5 days - and he came out with anaemia. I believe this is anaemia from blood loss. His PCV went from 46 to 24, which has been his lowest point. On the advice of my vet, I have not given either of my dogs any flea treatments - I did put a herbal collar on them, but she said as I dont take them anywhere, they should be ok, and so far, so good. But, as I say, I dont know if that was the trigger.

Silka Melbourne Australia

Hi Darren, Cocos appetite came back a little less then a week after we started the predisone. At that point I was making her anything I thought she would eat but it came down to her really enjoying chicken breast, scrambled egg(no spices) and cottage cheese. Her vet now tells me a bland diet,cottage cheese is still her favorite and if you can get it she is also eating EN Gastroenteric canine formula dog food(I got it from her vet)which is easily digestible with the nutrients she needs. We put her on that because she got pretty bad(hct at 14) and had blood in her stool which the vet thought was from the meds. He put her on two different stomach meds on Thurs as well as the azathiorprine. I have heard on here that they Azathiorprine takes a few weeks but my vet told me its starts right away. Maybe someone can clarify this for us. Let us know about Macys bloodwork tomorrow, Coco has an appt at 8:30 for the same. Poor things Coco has become my shadow so I try to stay in one spot as long as possible so she can rest for longer periods and she now has the run of my bed at night lol, but oh well as long as it helps. Good luck tomorrow and keep us posted....Kelly

Kelly Redding

Hi Darren and Kelly - Winston's doctor put him on Azathiaprine some time after he had already been on pred and atopica. He was only on the "full dose" for a week and she tapered him of to half. He had a significant spike during the week at full dose and dropped when the amount was decreased but his doctor advised you could not be on azathiaprine long term at a full strength. I don't know why. He's been on half for the last 3 wks.

Lisa TX

Hey Darren..Have you gotten Macys new blood work results from this morning yet?

Kelly Redding

No, Kelly, thank you for asking. They will not be available until tomorrow I guess because they were sent to a specialist. The vet put her on a few more meds, one for nausia and one to increase her appetite. She has barely eaten anything for 4 days. Is this ok? I keep reading how the pred makes dogs starving but I don't see it yet. She has very low energy and I am really concerned.

Darren Long Beach

Hi Darren How do Macy's gums look? I had the same problem with Millie. In the end, I had to take her to a Teaching Hospital where she stayed for 4 nights. Maybe getting her on a drip might be the best thing for her? Samantha

Samantha Geelong Australia

Darren, have you tried all the yummy foods? Liver/beef heart, roast beef, scrambled eggs, chicken, etc? Tessy was the same way when she became sick and after a couple days of eating NOTHING they put her on a drip so that the body could get the nutrients it needed. If I were you I'ld try the foods mentioned above. DON'T WORRY about if they are overly fatty....this is only temporary and the main thing is to get her eating....and at this point that's why you should try the good yummy foods. Tessy ate this stuff for me when she was sick. Like Patrice was saying above Doxy can make them lose their appetite. Is she on this and if so how much longer does she have? How many days has it been that she's been on the immune suppressing drugs? If I were you I'ld also strongly recommend you take her off the Revolution flea treatment. Avoid ALL chemicals for now. Even the household floor cleaners. A lot of the time you will hear people saying that Azathioprine takes up to 6 weeks to start working. Key words "UP TO". I think that this drug usually starts working in approx 12 days or so. Same thing with the pred. It can take "up to" a week for it to start working but it CAN start to work much quicker...few days maybe...depending on the dog. Each dog is different and you have to watch for the signs. The doctors will be able to tell by the numbers (lymphoid #'s) when the meds are starting to work. Plus....she'll eat like a pig when the pred startes to work. Another possibly important thing to do is with regards to the sucralfate. Exactly the same thing that Patrice mentoined above..."Giving it at bedtime on an overnight fast is really the best time if you can manage that". This is important in my opinion. I had to take Tessy off this protectant because it was wreaking havoc on her med absorption. I switched her to omeprazole...which I've been told is kinda the GOLD standard of stomach protectants...so my doctor says?!?! I guess there's only one more thing that I can recommend you do and that is to give her Milk thistle daily. Sounds like Macy's on quite a few drugs and this has gotta be hard her liver. Milk thistle will help to protect the liver in a BIG way. Trust me...you don't want to wait for the liver to start having problems cause then that's a whole other set of worries. I'll keep Macy in my thoughts and prayers. Strong healing doggy vibes her way. Johnny & Tessy

Johnny

Hi Darren..In regards to what was mentioned recently about the doxy diminishing the appetite I would agree with that. Coco was on doxy and predisone the first week and didn't eat that much, I did have good luck at that stage with canned soup (chicken noodle, chicken broth,vegetable beef) high in sodium I know but at least she was eating. It was during this time that I started making her scrambled eggs and giving her cottage cheese. She is a people food monster so it was pretty easy to find something she wanted(especially if I acted like I was going to give to the other dogs first lol she's a little piggy)I am a little confused about the sucrafate my vet has coco on 1 gr every 8 hours but never told me not to give it with her other meds or food which is what I have been doing. I guess I had better switch that so her meds are not at the same time. Thanks for the insight on that Patrice and Johnny. Good luck with her appetite and lets us know how she does....Kelly

Kelly Redding

My vet said that the sucralfate only impedes the doxy's intake, not the pred and aza absorbtion. My concern is that she is vomiting the massive amount of water as fast as she is drinking it for the past few hours. Did this happen to anyone else? My vet recommended Cerenia this morning for the nausea and mirtazapine to help for her apptetite. Neither has helped just yet. We are cooking up all the different foods you kind people suggested above. I just hope she eats some of it. Tough to tell when a drip may just be better.

Darren Long Beach

Darren, Tiggs required a Cerenia injection (followed by a five day course of Cerenia in pill form). The shot is immediate and effective. Our best, melissa and tiggs

melissa slc

Darren - Have you tried plain meat baby food? It's what our specialists recommended when Murray was sent home from critical care (on an army of meds) - it is very easy on their system and very palatable. Just start with small amounts every few hours if she keeps it down. If she is vomiting everything she is taking in, you may need to give her GI tract a rest from food and water for 8 - 12 hours so she doesn't become dehydrated - sometimes the GI reflex "kicks in" and their body will purge everything they take in. If you are concerned she is becoming dehydrated, I would contact an ER vet - she may need to be seen/given IV fluids which would give her system a chance to rest and settle down. Bonnie

Bonnie Chicago

Hi Darren I really hope Macy is doing better. I wanted to let you know that I also had trouble getting Millie to eat during that first week. She did not vomit but she refused food totally. She was retaining fluid and was extremely lethargic, even though her PCV was at 25. In desperation we went to our vet and Millie was referred to a teaching hospital. The stress of everything happening overwhelmed me so much that I burst into tears of relief when they said they would admit Millie to the hospital. She was put on a drip and in am incubator. They could treat her for any problems as they arose and in 4 days time, I picked her up. Still at PCV 25, but stable. I needed a break for my sanity. It was money well spent. Maybe Macy would benefit from a drip right now and the doctors can keep a close eye on her? Just a thought. Sam

Samantha geelong australia

Well, I took her to a 24 hour care hospital. Her PAC count is at 16. They are hydrating her now and getting her stabilized as well as doing another transfusion. The dr. said her situation is very critical. She asked what I was willing to do/spend and I pretty much said anything. She will give dexamethasone, aza, cyclosporine, leflunomide, and a very expensive drug called human gamma globulin. I have no idea if these will work but for me personally, I would not be able to live with myself it I did not support her as best I could. She also sent us for some melatonin at the local pharmacy. Does anyone know anything about leflunomide, human gamma globulin, or melatonin? Please say a prayer or keep my dear Macy in your thoughts. Your support is extremely appreciated.

Darren Long Beach

You have done the right thing Darren. There are some negative opinions on this site on leflunomide. I will try to find the most recent post that discussed this. Thinking of you and your family Sam

Samantha geelong australia

darren I just bumped up the leflunomide thread for you. Sam

Samantha geelong

Hi Darren I will certainly keep you and Macy in my thoughts - lots of healing white light being sent your way. Stay in touch. Silka

Silka Melbourne Australia

Hi Darren, found this article in relation to human gamma globulin: Five dogs with nonregenerative anemia were treated with human immunoglobulin as a 12-hour IV infusion, at dosages ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 g/kg of body weight. All dogs had a rapid response to treatment, with reticulocytosis within 1 to 4 days and a substantial increase in hematocrit within 3 to 8 days of treatment. In 2 of 5 dogs, the hematocrit returned to values within reference range and remained in the reference range for 8 to 14 months after treatment, despite discontinuing or tapering prednisone treatment to a low dose. In 3 of 5 dogs, the hematocrit did not return to the reference range. In 1 of these 3 dogs, the hematocrit remained at the new, increased value (26 to 28%). In the other 2 dogs, the hematocrit had decreased to pretreatment values by 52 days after treatment. Retreatment of these 2 dogs resulted in a similar, but blunted, response to human immunoglobulin. Human immunoglobulin may be an effective treatment for some dogs with immune-mediated anemia that fail to respond to conventional treatment. Hope it all goes well for Macy - and you!

Silka Melbourne Australia

Darren, If you go to the treatment page at the Meisha's Hope Web site: http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/treatment.htm you will find links to 4 articles on the use of human immuunoglobin for the treatment of Canine AIHA/IMHA in the middle of the page.

Joanne MN

Hey Darren.I am so sorry to hear about poor Macys condition but it sounds like she is in great hands,not only the vet staff but yours as well. Its so good to hear about owners that really care about their furry children. I am saying many prayers for Macy as well as you and your family, stay strong, so many dogs beat this and there is no reason to believe that Ms Macy won't be one of them. I'll be wating to hear about her homecoming..Kelly

Kelly Redding

Darren We will continue to say prayers for Macy and hope she will turn things around soon. It sounds like she is receiving excellent care. I know how hard this is for you but try to stay strong. Cheryl & Ginger

Cheryl & Ginger Pineville PA

This thread was discussed between 01/01/2010 and 03/01/2010

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