VetNet®
VetNet® AIHA discussion forum
VetNet® Forum
Lifelong Learning Network
www.vetnetlln.ac.uk
Veterinary Recruitment
Premier Partner Program
Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Munching from the litter box!
| My 10y lab, Jasper, is on day 49 since the possibility of IMHA was introduced, and it's been about 14 days since she was definitively diagnosed with NRIMHA. Since the official diagnosis and the adoption of Dr. Dodds's protocol, it seems like we might be heading in the right direction--her gums are pink, her energy is up, side effects from her meds are manageable, and her HCT is on the rise for the first time since this whole awful thing started. We have her on a grain free diet (orijen) and are carefully monitoring her caloric intake to avoid pancreatitis. Things were going SO WELL, and then she decided to snack from the litter box. I'm pretty sure she got what she was looking for before I could stop her, and I don't know if I should worry! Bloodwork from Thursday showed that her lymphocytes are slightly above the high end of normal, so I don't think she's immunocompromised, but even if she doesn't get an infection, could the bacteria/chemicals from the litter/etc rev up her autoimmune issues again?? She's been fighting so heroically, and I've been so in awe of how dignified and stoic she is, and if she derails herself because of this...oy. What a lady. Any help would be so appreciated!! |
| Annie New Paltz |
| YUCKY....Jasper, you only *think* the kitty poop is good cause of the prednisone! LOL Yeah, depending on the litter used a chemical reaction is def. possible. Consult the vet to make sure on this. Sorry you have to go through this Annie. This disease just plain sucks in so many ways and having a case of non-regenerative anemia doesn't help matters! Is she regenerating new blood now? Good to see you are using Dr. Dodds' protocol. She's GREAT to work with! Have you sent blood off to her at hemopet? I'd highly recommend doing so that way you can also get the thyroid checked by her! The thyroid should be checked regardless though. You want to see the lymphocyte counts *below* normal. If you can target 1/3 the norm then the drugs are properly working. IF the counts remain high then I'd question the drug dosages. These are the little buggers we want to *shut down*. Feel free to post Jaspers weight, drugs and dosages if you'd like. I'd also not worry about the caloric intake but rather the fat intake if you are worried about pancreatitis. Has Jasper had this in the past? I think the fact that she's eating is a really good thing! Have you had a recent blod chemistry done to check the pancreatic values? It'd be good to know the liver and kidney values as well. It's always good to keep a close eye on ALL these. MILK THISTLE...if you haven't already then you should get some for her. This'll help protect the liver from damage and in larger amounts it'll also help te kidneys! Pet Tinic...also a good idea. This'll provide the body with the needed micro-nutrients to actually build new blood cells in the bone marrow. Lots of rest, lots of fresh clean water, AND lots of luvins. Keep her as stress free as possible. If you can manage you should ask for and get copies of ALL bloodwork and start a file. Good to have on hand! I'll keep Jasper in my thoughts and prayers. Keep us posted. Johnny & TEssy |
| Johnny |
| OH, I assume you probably already found this site but if not I'd HIGHLY encourage you to check it out. This is Joannes Meisha's hope site...and it'll give you LOTS of hope!!! http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/index.html |
| Johnny |
| YES thank you for not making me feel paranoid in my hyper-vigilance! i did talk to her vet (I work at an animal hospital and we had our holiday party tonight. i was a charming dinner guest, clearly), and he said she should be fine--she ate her dinner, kept her meds down, and her stool was normal, so hopefully we're in the clear. and thank you so much for your kind words! with her age being what it is, i highly doubt she would have made it through an acute hemolytic crisis, so i guess the fact that the destruction is happening in the bone marrow is...fortunate? relatively speaking, haha. her first reticulocyte count since her pcv started improving will be wednesday--i'm super anxious but definitely no stranger to bad news--we have 2 bags of hemopet packed cells and dr. dodds on our side, so if she's not regenerating yet we'll just do what we have to do. i've bailed on plans because "my dog needs blood," i've been sleeping with hematology and drug books, and i've been dreaming about erythroid series and reticulocytes but alllll of the insanity is totally worth the 50 days i didn't think i'd have with my ass-kicking girl--i can't even express what a lifesaver this board has been! i've been lurking pretty much from the start of her IMHA battle, and whether i needed the answer to some bizarre question; affirmation that i'm doing the right thing; or just reassurance that there are others going through this as well, it hasn't let me down yet : ) |
| Annie New Paltz |
| What do you mean??? This disease doesn't make a person paranoid!!! hehe Most of the time with NRAIHA the destruction isn't acute but gradual. There's plus's and minus's to both I guess. 49 days without a diagnosis??? Any idea why? That's awesome that you work at an animal hospital. Do you get discounts? I bet the retic counts will be much higher come WEdnesday...especially if the crit is on the climb. Lots of positive vibes coming to you both. Johnny & Tessy |
| Johnny |
This thread was discussed between 12/12/2010 and 13/12/2010
Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) forum index
This thread is from the Vetnet archive. The live Vetnet forum is active now.
