Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Misty's brother Teddy

Hi all,thank you so much for your consolences for Misty. It has not been easy,we all having been crying for 4 days straight and now I have another problem. My boy(3 1/2 lb Yorkie) is not only grieving badly for Misty but now he might have health problems to. To make a long story short.I have always noticed that he poops out very quickly after getting excited. About a week before Misty got sick,I was going to bring Teddy to the vet to get checked out. He is 13 months old. With Misty getting sick,Teddy was put on the back burner.In the days that Misty seemed to be remarkabley better,I took Teddy in. The vet told me that it sounded like collapsed trachea which is common in small dogs..I was supposed to bring both back on Fri.(but of course Misty passed) so I only brought Teddy back...They took an xray and said that the xray looked like thats not what it is. They are going to let the other vet look at it and get back to me tomorrow...The problem is Teddy also needs teeth pulled out because he never lost his baby teeth but because of his size and the breathing issues they do not want to put him under anestesia until they know exactly what is going on...I feel like I am reliving this nightmare and starting over not knowing what is going to happen to Teddy. I know this forum is for imha and he does not have that but Being that there are so many dog loving people on here I figured I would see if anyone else has had a small dog with simalr problems...When Teddy gets excited,he is not getting enough oxygen and his tongue turns blue...I am totally numb by all that has happened in the last 2 weeks and I can't even imagine telling my girls that something can happen to Teddy..They know a little because we have to try and keep Teddy calm all the time and not let him get excited...That in itself is a difficult task because he is such a happy little thing...I feel like he is getting worse but I don't know if it is his condition or if it is because he is grieving for Misty but I do know that the fact that his tongue turns blue,it has to be something serious...Again,Im sorry that I am on this forum but I don't know where else to turn...

Cathy nj

Cathy, (I have a younger sister named Cathy, LOL). This is a "support" site, at least, that is what it has been to me. I never agreed to agree with anyone on here, nor did they agree to agree with me. I also know I can get down right "out there" with all the emotions running through me. And I have to say, everyone on here has been totally honest in their feelings, which I have always respected. However, one thing we all have in common is the wonderful, unrelenting love of our pets.....and however heartwrenching, we all share a common thread....love, compassion, respect, courage, and honor. I am so sorry for your loss of Misty and I wish you all the best with Teddy. I know totally nothing about small breed dogs. I have always liked the big, sloppy,drooly, longhaired ones you could wrap your arms around for a pure big ole hug. Not to say small dogs can't love just as much as big ones! They (all pets) all have a heart no matter how large or small and all have the infinite capacity for love. A heart is always open for more............. Good luck and I'll pray for the best for you and your beloved, Mary

Mary Wright Gainesville

Cathy, I don't have any answers but wanted you to know that I am thinking of you and Teddy. I hope that they can find out quickly what is going on and that it is something minor that can be addressed easily. Hugs , thoughts and prayers be sent. Penny

Penny Lytle CreekCalif

Dear Cathy, I am so sorry you are having this problem with darling Teddy. My IMHA dog Millie (a 12 year old Maltese Shih Tzu cross) has been diagnosed with a collapsed trachea. This was confirmed via x-ray, and it is apparently quite obvious on the x-ray if a dog has a collapsing trachea. So, I would safely say that if this is not obvious on Teddy's x-ray, then it's not the cause. I am sure your vets will get to the bottom of this problem, and I agree that you shouldn't put Teddy under anaesthetic until you know exactly what is going on. Please keep us updated on Teddy, we are all here for support. Sam & Millie.

Samantha Geelong

Thank You Sam, i called the vet to see what was going on today and she basically said that I have to bring Teddy in for an ultrasound tomorrow. I feel like it is starting all over again. She told me that she thinks it is a vascular problem where the valves that go in and out and oxygenate the blood are reversed. I asked if this is a situation that could be dealt with and fixed and she said no. So I said "are you telling me that if this is the case than I am going to have to put another dog down"in less than a week and she said no but he could lose enough oxygen at any time and he could pass so where am I now....When my girls walk in the door,my little boy is always so excited to see them...I can't imagine one of my girls being with him and something happens,,,My girls will feel responsible and have to live with that for the rest of their lives...I am truly having a hard time dealing with all that is happening.....This vet has been great with Misty(my lab) and through all of my research I know that they did all that they could,,I'm just not sure how educated they are on my little dog(Yorkie/Chihauha)....I am going to have the ultrasound done and than I don't know if its possible but maybe I can find a specialist that specializes in little dogs....I am running out of options and running out of hope....I don't know how this all could be happening when two weeks ago both dog were fine....I am having a hard time dealing but I have to...I will keep you posted...

cathy nj

Praying for you and Teddy. My heart is with you. Blessings, Cindi

Cindi & Tori PCB

Ok,well Teddy had the ultrasound today and the good news is that it is not the vascular problem that they thought it was and they ruled out collapsed trachea the bad news is that t hey still do not know what it is. They know that the oxygen is being retricted they just don't know in what part of the body it is happening. The vet is going to consult with a cardiologist(I don't know if it is a vet cardiologist or a regular cardiologist) and see if she can get more information as they specialize in this sort of thing. She mentioned something about maybe having a catheter put in but that would be extremely expensive and still a risk because Teddy would have to be under to do that...Right now she said that she needs to get more information on what she's dealing with so now we just wait....I am truly relieved that it wasn't the vascular thing because that is a very bad scenario but I am still worried about what is going on,,,,I am just keeping my fingers crossed and saying prayers that he will be ok...Thank You guys for all of your wishes and prayers...I will keep you posted.... Cathy

cathy nj

Cathy, I'm not sure what to say about this. Can you describe the way he acts a little more specifically. I'm assuming you did the basics...full blood workup & physical. Did they listen to the heart with the stethascope??? I did a search for veterinary cardiologists in your area and there are 2 of them in NJ. I've often heard that breathing problems in puppies isn't uncommon but the thing that keeps coming back to me is the blue tongue. Again...a little more info would help. This could be sooo many different things...airway obstructions, viral or bacterial infections, broken ribs, heart or lung problems, etc etc. Give as much detail as you can on what you are observing. (gasping for air? coughing? sneezing? snoring? runny nose? etc) I'd like to recommend you use CoQ10 but until you can figure more out it's best to hold off on anything for now. AND OF COURSE....lots of healing vibes and prayers coming his way. Johnny & Tessy

Johnny

Hey Johnny, Teddy always pooped out quickly but I have never noticed his tongue turning blue..He is such a tiny dog(3 1/2)lbs that we all just thought it was normal because he was so little. He never acted distressed,he would just sit and pant to catch his breath. My friend who is a vet tech told me to check his tongue when it happens and thats why I did..It was off to the vet..Teddy has been at the vet for his shots and checkup before and it was never noticed because he never really got excited there. When I brought him in to have this checked out,they did bloodwork,which made him very excited and they also noticed his tongue turning blue. They were thinking collapsed trachea,although she NEVER heard any kind of heart mumur and he never had a cough.Like I said just pants and has to catch his breath,,,they took two xrays and ruled out ct,vet said that Teddy was getting excited during xrays so that would have been more os a chance that the xray would show it as it would have been happening at the time of xray..The xray showed clear passageway,clear lungs and his heart looked good..Today he went for an ultrasound with doppler..The ultrasound showed that the right side of heart was a little enlarged(not alarmingly enlarged)just enough to show that it is working harder than it should...The vet said that it looks like the blood is flowing correctly but somewhere it is being restricted and possibly not being reoxygenated. They also ruled out any shunts..The vet took him outside and played with him for a minute or two and it started happening so she immediately listened to his heart during the episode and she said there was still no murmur. It is all so confusing because in the meantime i think his little teeth hurt him but they can't do anything until they figure out what the problem is...He looks like a totally healthy dog otherwise...I have researched many yorkie websites but i can't find anything silmilar to whats going on with him...The vet put him on antibiotics(I forget why,I think its for his teeth but i am not sure)and now I am just in a wait and see mode.She is going to consult a cardiologist and get back to me...Thanks for all of your help.... Cathy

cathy nj

I thought I was just numb but now I am once again within 2 weeks absolutely devastated...I brought Teddy back to the vet today, they had a cardiologist come in to their office to look at him.They did another ultrasound and also did an agitated saline test(where they shoot the saline into his blood(I believe and watch how it travels)the diagnosis is that Teddy has a large hole in his heart. There is only one thing that can be done and the surgery could be more risky than the diagnosis. He is only 3 1/2lb and the procedure is extremely difficult to do(that is if i can find a vetinary cardiologist who will do it)Just putting him under the anesthesia for an extended amount of time can kill him. The surgery will be about $5000. with a very low success rate....I feel like i have been punched in my stomach and cannot catch my breath...I just picked up Misty's remains today and now this.....

Cathy nj

Cathy: I am heartbroken to read that Teddy has been diagnosed with such a very serious heart condition. I wish there was some magical thing I could say that would help you during this very dark time. Please know that we will be thinking of you and Teddy and praying for you both. Rita, Mike and Sheba

Rita IA

CATHY....lots of hugs just for you. I'm sorry you are having to deal with this now. I'd assume they gave you advise on diet and exercise. Keep all activity to a very strict minimum and keep the diet strict also...foods without salt! Salt is now your enemy!!! You might want to discuss with the vet if maybe diuretics or ace inhibitors might be of benefit also...I'm not sure if they would be or not. I'm unfamiliar with this condition but from what I've just been reading about it in a short time it *may* or *might* be managable for a shortened time. Surgery does seem like the likely option though. A couple links for you to check out... www . ah . novartis . com/cab/en/dog_heart_treatments . shtml (remove spaces) and http : //vetmed . tamu . edu/news/press-releases/hole-in-dog's-heart-repaired-at-texas-am (remove spaces).....this one shows a noninvasive surgery they used at Texas A&M to fix a hole in the heart of a standard poodle. It might be worthwhile getting in contact with these guys....there's contact info at the bottom of the page. They'd likely know more about this surgery. From what I'm gathering from the article they did the "fix" WITHOUT doing open heart surgery. Not sure if the size of TEddy would matter though. Again....worthwhile to call them and talk to someone. If you want even more info or reading just do a search on "ventricular septal defect canine" and you should get much more info. My heart is with you during this tough time. My thoughts and prayers will be with you and Teddy. Johnny & Tessy

Johnny

Thanks Johnny, I have been researching it myself and saw the article from texas a+m, it gave me a little hope...He is only 3 1/2lbs and thats what they are worried about. I am determined to find someone who can do it but in the back of my mind I think,I might have months with him but if I schedule surgery in the next few weeks and something happens,which is the prognosis that the vet was trying to tell me in a very suttle way,and he doesn't make it through surgery than i gave up time to spend with him..I just don't know the answer and that is killing me.....

cathy nj

Dear Cathy, I am so very sorry to hear this news. My heart is breaking for you and your family. What a difficult decision you have to make..... I am sure you will do what's right for little Teddy. Sounds like you have some good material to read through to help you with Teddy's condition. Hugs to you and Teddy, Sam and Millie.

Samantha Geelong AUSTRALIA

Cathy, What an awful choice to make. I am sure that you will find the answer. Whatever you decide it will be because you love Teddy so much and are such a good Mom to him. I will keep you all in my thoughts and prayers. Penny

Penny Lytle Creek Calif

This thread was discussed between 27/09/2010 and 02/10/2010

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