Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - more bad news for Coco

Well I can't believe it. We were just at the vets this morning,perfect temp,hct holding at 18,good spirits, eating and drinking well. I left for four hours and when I came home this evening my son told me Coco was acting weird. I went in and checked her out. She was disorientated, listless, wouldn't eat or drink and started shaking. I called my vets emergency answering service and after talking with her meet her at the clinic. That morning everything checked out fine, at 6:00 p.m. she was still fine I came back at 10:00 p.m. and she was at deaths door. Her hct came back at 13, she is running a fever of 103.6 has a racing heart and is totally listless and barely responds to anything I say.They immediately set her up on iv fluids and started pumping antibiotics in her. All the signs show an infection of some sort up vet mentioned that she might be septic, so I sat with her until they kicked me out just now but I am so besides myself with guilt and worry..what if she passes away, if I had been home I would have noticed the symptoms and acted more quickly to get her help.. So I guess what I am saying is that I really need any kind of wisdom and encouragement you guys can throw at me right now. The vet will call in the morning if she makes it and all I can think about is how long this night will be.

Kelly Redding

Kelly, first of all DON'T beat yourself up with what you should have done. How could you have known? I know just all too well, how fast things like that can happen. If she has it in her, she WILL recover. Try to stay positive, send her good positive thoughts and vibes. Try to visualize her healthy and happy. There really is nothing else you can do at this point.... I will think of you and your Coco, best wishes, Brigitte

Brigitte BC Canada

Dear Kelly This is something we all face with our animals, and you just cannot be blaming yourself - and you have done the best thing for Coco and she is in the right place receiving treatment; seems to me you reacted as quickly as you could. Dear Coco, I do hope she is okay, she seems like a fighter to me, being in good spirits with a hct of 18 is pretty amazing in itself. It will be a long night; I have been there myself - I wish you all the best and shall say a prayer for Coco and you tonight - thinking of you. Silka

Silka Melbourne Australia

Kelly, I am so sorry to hear this latest news. Please do not beat yourself up. You have done absolutely all you can and you should not feel guilty. I left Millie for 10 hours a day while I went to work. As much as I wanted to be home with Millie all the time, I just could not. Please try to focus on what you need to do to pull Coco through this as blaming yourself will not do anything except upset you even more. I will be thinking about you and Coco. Samantha.

Samantha Geelong Australia

Sending our prayers for Coco and we hope she can turn the corner soon. Cheryl & Ginger

Cheryl & Ginger Pineville PA

Kelly, if I were you I'ld call the vet and get an update ASAP. If she's still got the symptoms you described and her PCV is still falling then the most logical thing for them to do is another transfusion. Is there any chance at all that Coco might have missed a medicine dose? It's so very important at this stage to NOT miss a dose. So if I were you I'ld get in contact with them and find out what you can. Try to findout also what antibiotics they are suing. I'll be keeping Coco in my thoughts and prayers. Johnny & Tessy

Johnny

Easier said than done, but please don't blame yourself for anything. You are a good mom to Coco and are doing everything you possibly can. Hopefully she will pull out of this and be back to her old self soon. She is in good hands with you and with the vet. Let them do their job and try to relax a little. Give them a call today to rest your mind. Keep us posted. I'm thinking of you both.

Mardi Northern Cali

Kelly, Coco is lucky to have an owner that cares for her as much as you do. Find comfort in that you are doing everything you can. As Mardi said above, she is in good hands and a transfusion is probably necessary. It is a living nightmare and I wish you strength and Coco great health. In my prayers.... Darren

Darren Long Beach

Kelly, Just to let you know I've been where you are when Nollaig developed sepsis and was in an isolation ward for a few days (in her case this was due to her white cells having been suppressed too much by the drug leflunomide, whereby she more or less had no white cells to fight the infection) but she came through it and I am hoping and praying that Coco will too. Nollaig's hct was 10 at this point and had to have 2 oxyglobin transfusions while they desperately tried to find a match as this was her 5th blood transfusion she now required and she still pulled through, so know that these amazing doggies can do it!! Thinking of you and praying hard... Kathleen and Nollaig

Kathleen North Ayrshire

Kelly, I think as parents (whether it be the human kind or just fur babies) we always feel we should be able to protect them and notice everything. Unfortunately it is not always that easy. You are doing the best that you can for Coco and hopefully things will get turned around. I will be keeping you both in my thoughts and prayers. Penny

Penny Lytle Creek Calif

Thank you everyone for your unwavering support, it means so much. Coco made it through the night her hct has risen to 14 and while they are still having trouble with her fever,it wavers betwwen high 102's and low 103's,it got up to 105 last night after I had left so 102-103 is better. Her white blood cells are looking good doing what they should be so its just waiting for the antibiotics to kick in. My vet is calling me again in the morning and I will find out what antibiotics she is on then. They told me she is perkier today, showing a little interest in food and drink. I'll keep you posted, thanks again..Kelly and Coco

Kelly Redding

Kelly: I know how easy it is to feel guilty but it's not productive and it prevents you from focusing on what's important - helping Coco get through this latest crisis. Also, I know this may sound silly, but one of the things I found helpful/calming when Sheba was so sick was to talk to her even though she was 60 miles away in the ICU at ISU. You don't have to talk to her out loud if you don't want to - it can be a running conversation in your head - but it does help. Just tell her how much you love her and how proud you are and how much you'd like her to get better and whatever else you think might help her. Hang in there and please know that we are keeping you and Coco in our thoughts and prayers. Rita, Mike and Sheba

Rita IA

Hi Kelly, I'm glad Coco is still hanging in there. Like Johnny suggested, have you considered another blood transfusion? It is critical that she gets her meds on time and doesn't miss a dose at this point in time. I used to watch Millie like a hawk when I gave her medication to her, she did have a habit of spitting them out when I thought she'd swallowed them. I would then check her mouth thoroughly to make sure they'd gone down.... not taking any chances! To this day, I don't think we've missed a beat. Coco's immune system would be suppressed making her susceptible to opportunistic infections. Good luck, and please keep us posted on Coco's progress. I am hoping that she turns a corner soon. Samantha & Millie.

Samantha Geelong Australia

Hi Kelly - I was sorry to read about Coco's setback. About four months after my dog's IMHA diagnosis, we went through something similar - he was stable and then began shaking, etc. Please try not to feel bad about not being there - you likely would not have seen it coming and, most importantly, you got Coco quick care as soon as you knew something was wrong. When we got Murray to the ER vet, his temp was 104 and they concluded that, like Kathleen's Nollaig, he had become septic as a result of the IMHA meds suppressing his immune system too much to the extent he couldn't fight infection. Since Coco's white counts are good, it sounds like she is fighting something different. I hope they are able to quickly figure out what is going on but, in the meantime, I wouldn't be too concerned about which antibiotics they are using - I would expect they're using an array to attack the infection from all angles and cover as many bases as possible. In our case, they stopped his IMHA meds to give his body a chance to respond - but it doesn't sound like you are at that point. Hang in there - I know it's frightening - Murray's temp bounced around for 2 - 3 days and we basically took it "hour by hour" - actually, 4 hours by 4 hours (in between phone calls and visits). But, after 4 days, he was stable enough to come home (with an army of antibiotics). I hope the same for you. Bonnie

Bonnie Chicago

Yay! Im so glad Coco made it throught the night. Keep on going Coco. Thinking of you Kelly. Silka

Silka Melbourne Australia

Kelly, the most important thing to try and remember is to take this one day at a time, if not one hour at at time. It's so hard, but we are all thinking of you and Coco. Keep doing what you are doing, you are taking very good care of your girl. melissa and tiggs

melissa slc

So glad Coco is still fighting this,the fact her white cells are good is a great thing, because she has something fighting this along with the antibiotics,so she stands a very good chance of coming through this,because Nollaig did and that was just with the antibiotics fighting it, because as I said above, her white cells were almost non existant.Also good that her hct has risen a little because Nollaig's dropped at a faster rate than it had been doing before just because it was taking more out of her due to infection,so the fact that Coco's is rising even with severe infection is a great sign Kelly. Nollaig had gone in to hospital with sickness and diarrhoea so the vets knew it was a gut infection so they used antibiotics suitable for that, but if in Coco'c case they dont know the root of infection, don't worry, they will just give an all rounder antibiotic(s) to cover all bases. Look forward to hearing that you get Coco home. Kathleen and Nollaig

Kathleen North Ayrshire

Kelly, Ruger and I are thinking about you and Coco...positive thoughts and prayers coming your way!

jaime Parker

Me too! I concur with what everyone says above.....It is going to get better.

Mardi Northern Calif

This thread was discussed between 10/01/2010 and 12/01/2010

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