Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - My lovely Molly RIP

Just found this site and i can't believe my 5 year old cocker spaniel has passed away with this horrible decease - woke up on monday morning (25th July 2011) and there was blood all over my dining room from Molly, she had also been sick, rushed her to the vets and they though she had an infection but then noticed her eyes and gums were turning yellow - she was running about in the fields on sunday afternoon, never noticed any difference because like many cockers she was lazy and i just wish i had got her to the vets sooner - the vet warned me she may have AIHA but i,ve never heard of it but i knew in my heart she wouldn't pull through she was so weak - they gave her a blood transfusion but then said she wasn't responding to the treatment - so i had to let her go - i am devastated and i can't believe she has gone - its been nearly 2 weeks now and every morning i get up my heart hurts and i get the sick feeling in my stomach - i just wish i could have done more for her - the only thing i can think that may have brought the discease on is the vets asked when her last season was, which was about 3 weeks age also we had taken her for a walk around a fishing lake and there were swans and she ran after one but fell into the pond, she never been in one before and with her being a little overwieght she went right under the water - so this could have caused it because the vets kept asking me if she had drank stanent water, which i do not know because she was a gredy little girl and would pick anything up from the floor, i am now terrified of buying another cocker incase it happens again - this site has really helped me and i hope other people who are going through the greif i am can read this and get a better understanding of this terrible disease.

Karen Manchester

Karen, I am so saddened by your loss. Don't beat yourself up over a disease most of us had never heard of before we got the awful diagnosis. Most of the time we never learn the trigger although Cockers do seem to have a higher likely hood of developing it. I have never heard of stagnant water being a cause? Know that Molly is at the rainbow bridge meeting up with a lot of very fine dogs where she will wait until you meet again. I hope the memories of happier days with your girl will help your heart heal. Take care Penny

Penny Lytle Creek Calif

hi karen, so sorry about molly, aiha is an autoimmune disease and so far they have not figured out the cause, and certain breeds seem to be more prone, but it does strike all canines, cockers being one, there is treatment and lots do survive, the transfusion would buy time for the drugs to start to work. take care Bev

bev

Dear Karen, I am so very sorry to hear what has happened to you. This has been a dreadful time for you. As dog owners we can't know about everything that is potentially dangerous for our dogs. And very few people even know about AIHA. If we wanted to protect our dogs from everything we would have to keep them inside our homes all the time. We do our best to balance protecting them and allowing them the freedoms they desire and need. Please believe me when I say that everyone here on this forum shares your grief. We have experienced guilt over our loss. And we have learned from each other that suffering from that guilt is not what our wonderful dogs would have wanted us to do. Molly, in her doggie way, loved to be with you and that was her whole purpose in life. She accepted you as her master and you accepted the responsibility. This time you did what you were supposed to, get her to a vet when you realized something was wrong. You made the heartbreaking decision to let her go too. These are the acts of a loving owner. They say time will heal, but I found that I needed to do something in my dog's memory to really heal. So I come to this forum and try to help owners. When you are feeling better perhaps you will find this comforting as well, in Molly's memory. To you and your family, please accept my deepest condolences for your great loss. my best patrice

Patrice NYS

I am so sorry for your loss. I just discovered that my dog has Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia. Like your dog, mine was fine one minute and when I called her for dinner, she could barely lift her head, and she had pee blood on the floor. My vet prescribed the common drugs that they use for this but I was told she will most likely not make it. My heart to is broken, but I keep the faith that she might make it thru this. She is a mix of colly and spaniel. I started her on the drugs yesterday and this morning she was hungry, her pee did not have blood in it, and she was barking at passerbys outside the window...of course I know this could not last but I will keeping hoping for it too....I never even heard of this. I often wonder if preventive drugs like Frontline, Revolution, etc are the cause to alot of diseases our animals get. My thought and prayers are with you, having lost two wonderful friends before I know what you are going thru.

Robert Mississippi

Karen, I am so very sorry to hear of the loss of your most beloved Molly. Please accept my deepest symapathies on your loss. When you feel up to it, I urge you to visit the Loss & Grief page at the Meisha's Hope AIHA/IMHA Web site: http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/loss.htm This page was written with input from those who have lost their dogs to AIHA/IMHA and contains many resources that will be very helpful to you during these most very difficult days. Once again my deepest sympathies to you on your loss.

Joanne MN

Hi Karen: I am so sorry about your loss. I know from experience how hard this is to go through ... my pet did not survive and I still check in on this website to hopefully help others but also to stay informed. Know that this illness can take such a strong hold on our dogs that there may not be time to reverse the process. I also lost my cocker to this illness. He passed away in March within 3 days of showing a symptom. Everything possible had been done to save him. Cockers have a predisposition to this illness but most cockers enjoy a long life. This illness is rare. If you love this breed there is no medical reason why this illness you should prevent you from giving another cocker a forever home ... as long as you would be able to sleep at night. Any breed has a health risk associated with it. Thank goodness we modern medicine has learned what the predispositions are. Hopefully more vets will start to treat animals based on breed not just the species. An unspade female cocker certainly had a higher risk of contracting this illness as a hormonal change is a suspected trigger, so the vet was likely on track asking this. If in time you do decide to get another cocker ... do contact Dr. Dodds and ask about the her vaccine protocol, thyroid testing, titer testing so that these preventative measures can become part of the annual health check. I know that peoples experiences on this site were unpreventable and do not wish to offend anyone stating otherwise. My perspective comes from having family members carrying a genetic mutation called BRCA1 and even though this gene is carried it does not indicate a 100% chance of breast cancer ... it means the odds are higher than the general population therefore preventative measures are taken.

Karen Ottawa

Dear Karen, I too am so sorry for the loss of your sweet girl. We also have just learned about AIHA/IMHA, as our little Pom was diagnosed five weeks ago. You did what a loving guardian needed to when you took Molly to the vet, and I am certain she knew just how much you loved you. Please hold on to that. I hope you can find comfort in your wonderful memories of Molly, and that those memories can in time help you smile a bit through the tears. Sally

Sally Louisiana

Dear Karen and Family, It is always hard to loose the ones we love and that so includes our precious pets. I would like to post a short poem and pray that it will bring you some comfort. A loved one is not gone, until forgotten. And to live in the hearts of those left behind Is to live forever. Blessings, Cindi & Tori (IMHA/in remission)

Cindi PCB

Just wanted to say a big thank you to all that have replied to my comments on my lovely baby Molly - very comforting words and this will help me through the bad days i am having - she was my little baby and i miss her sooo much - i lost my other dog Harvey in january this year - he was a cross breed and he was 15 years old - so he had a good life but with Molly she was only 5 - this is wants getting to me she was so young and full of fun - so i,m thinking now that Molly is playing with her big brother Harvey in heaven. I do not think it was caused by the falling into the fishing pond - i beleive it was hormonal - she had a season a couple of weeks before - in time i will get another cocker spaniel they are adorable and i miss the greeting when i get home and the cuddles and kisses. just hope they find a better cure for IMHA - but this site is great for dog owners who are suffering through this dreadful discease.

Karen Manchester

Karen, although I lost my (7 year old) Springer Holly to this dreadful disease almost 3 years ago I still check in with this site every now and then. Like your loss of Molly it was quick and without any definite cause, however she had been to the vets the week before for her annual boosters. Even now I blame myself for not acting sooner, whether this would have made a difference or not I don't and will never know. Within 3 weeks I had Saffy, another Springer, certainly not a replacement but the house just did not feel right without 2 dogs and some Springer madness! My thoughts are with you at this hard time. My e-mail address should be displayed along with this message, please feel free to message me if you want to chat, sometimes our friends just don't really understand how we are feeling. Keri xxxx

Keri Lynn wales UK

I too would like to express my heartfelt condolences in the loss of your beloved Molly. While your loss is great in time your wonderful memories will be greater. Please don't have any regrets as you did the very best you could and made the courageous decision to let Molly go knowing how hard this would be on you. It’s okay to cry and scream. Losing a pet is, for many of us, losing a treasured member of the family. Don’t be embarrassed to feel your feelings … even if there are people who look at you with that look that says “come on, it was only a dog”! Your grief is very real and not only is it okay to express it, it’s important to. Surround yourself with people who understand what your pet meant to you and feel your feelings. And sometimes it seems like our grief will last forever and we will never smile again, keep this thought close to your heart. One day, each of us will be reunited with our loving companions at the bridge. RIP Molly Cheryl & Ginger

Cheryl & Ginger Pinevile PA

Karen, I am so sorry to hear of the loss of Molly. I know how special she had to have been to you. I also can understand your fear of owning another cocker spaniel. Last year my cocker, Buster, survived a bout with IMHA. One day he was playing in the yard with us and the next he could barely lift himself from his bed. I also had never heard of IMHA. The local vet thought at first he just had an infection. We had to go to U of I vet school, where he stayed for almost a week. Don't beat yourself up for something you did not know and you could not help. You did all you could from the time you found Molly sick. I do understand what you feel about owning another cocker spaniel. I'm not sure, if Buster had died, if I would have gotten another. I can tell you that Buster is one of the joys of my life and I am glad that I have him, so maybe I would. Other breeds also get IMHA, or can get some other illness so I guess you take your chances no matter what breed of dog you get. I just hope you are able to let another dog, of any breed, in your life. You sound like a loving person who will be able to give a truly blessed dog a wonderful home. Prayers, Ronda and Buster

Ronda Illinois

Hi Karen, I am also very sorry for your loss of Molly. I know how hard it is to wake up one day and have your life changed by this disease. Dylan is, so far, one of the fortunate ones, but I have experienced plenty of loss trying to help others through this terrible fight and have also lost a great dog to sudden death before. I hope the great memories come to be the most common memories and help you smile instead of cry. She will always be in your heart, I am sure. I am sure when you get another Cocker, maybe this experience will help you to find the best way to care for your new dog. There are so many things to learn that we can do to help protect our dogs, but until we are aware we need to, how can we. I have other dogs and I too really hope and pray I never see this disease again, as I am sure you do (and that includes no relapses in Dylan). Very sad for your loss, Richard and Dog Dylan

Richard Burnaby

Robert Sorry, for the interuption Karen, but Robert, can you let us know how your dog is doing in a new thread? I worry anytime a vet starts giving up when the treatment has just begun. I am also a believer that the world is a toxic place and overperscribed chemicals do cause trouble, as does poor nutrition from common pet food. Please start a thread, I hope it is not too late and that you are still fighting this awful disease. It can be beaten, even at the last minute, but certainly not always either, unfortunately. Richard & Dog Dylan

Richard Burnaby

Hello Karen, I have been away for a while and just read your post. It is so sad when a young dog does not even get a chance to fight this disease. But every day with you was a good day for Molly and even if she had a short life, it was a happy one. I know from experience that the memories of those last awful days will fade and will be replaced by the memories of all the good times you had together. Like you I lost a very young dog, Kahlu, a Standard Poodle. He was diagnosed at 2 1/2 and we fought together for a year. He had some great months before the disease struck again and took him. Like you I was hesitating to get an other Poodle. I asked Dr. Dodds if I am setting myself up for disaster taking an other dog from the same breeder. She convinced me that any dog can get AIHA and looking at the success stories on the Meisha's Hope website, you can clearly see that she is right. http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/successstories.htm I don't think there is a breed or mix of dog that has not shown up on this forum. On that website you can also find a link to a Loss & Grief page: http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/loss.htm Like Patrice I found it helpful to come on this site and try to help people that are going through the roller coaster of this awful disease. I also found it helpful to do some fund raising for The Meisha's Hope Foundation. This Foundation is raising money to support research at Universities. What helped me most is getting my sunshine dog Enzo. He certainly helped to heal my broken heart. Please accept my sincere Sympathy on your loss of Molly, best wishes, Brigitte & the poodle boys

Brigitte BC

Thanks to you all again for your support - its still very raw with me at the moment - its been nearly 3 weeks since my baby Molly was taken - her blood count when i got her the vets was 3 which the vets said he had never seen it so low and after the transfusion it jumped upto 23, then droped again to 6 and dropping, but like i have heard on this site that with all the treatment many dogs do survive this dreadful disease and in time i will adopt a cocker spaniel maybe two and give them a forever home in memory of Molly - my thoughts are with the owners who are suffering with this and good luck to all on treatment and i hope and prey they pull through.

Karen UK

Dear Karen, So terribly sorry to hear about Molly. I know how awful this disease can be and how quickly the progression can move. You did all the right things for your baby. Trying to figure out the "cause" of this condition is like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack. You loved Molly and Molly loved you. She didn't know she was going to get AIHA and doesn't blame you. Please don't blame yourself. I have 3 cocker siblings from the same litter, all diagnosed within a year of each other. Holly had less than 2% chance of survival since she had Evan's and her PCV was around 6 at diagnosis. She was on an aggressive steroid only protocol and pulled through, but she is mostly blind and completely deaf now from the steroids. Buckwheat had an extremely aggressive form of AIHA and passed away less than 24 hrs from diagnosis. Too little time for the steroids to work and I was looking for symptoms with him. He had a PCV of 24 at diagnosis. William, who just passed away recently had a mild (compared to Buck or Holly) course as his PCV never dropped below 28 on the primary disease or during the several relapses he had. The last relapse he succumbed quickly, just like Buckwheat. I would go through all of it again and I don't regret any of the options I had taken. Please don't beat yourself up at all over what happened or how it happened. It happens to all kinds of dogs, cockers a lot, but no breed is immmune to it. Good to hear that you will adopt another cocker or two some time in the future. Right now a cocker by the name of "Freckles" has come to need a home. He's 8 years old and his family abandoned him. His picture calls out to me over the internet, so we may have a new cocker in our home soon. I love those big fluffy feet and long silky ears. I'm a sucker for their big eyes and domey heads. I know I'll have one (or more?!)again. Take care of yourself while you heal emotionally and remember how much you and Molly loved each other! Liz and (Will, RIP, Buck, RIP and Holly - my three cocker dollies)

Liz Ohio

This thread was discussed between 09/08/2011 and 15/08/2011

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