Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Newly diagnosed AIHA....vaccinations or ?

Hello- I have a 9 year old German Shepherd Dog. Prior to his vaccinations of Rabies, DHLPPCCV and his monthly dose of Interceptor he was fine. Approximately 5-7 days after the shots, we noticed a slight decrease in his appetite and energy levels, that came and went. Didn't think too much until a few days later, when he wouldn't eat anything. For the next day or two everything seemed normal. A few days later he totally stopped eating, but was very thirsty, his gums were pale, his nose and ears were cold and he was weak and staggering. We rushed him to our vet. Prednisone was given, blood was drawn, then Tetracycline was given. The vet said it was AIHA and a "bacterial infection". Lab results came back next morning. He said he was still making red blood cells, but his white count was 3 times higher than it should be. He stayed in the hospital for 3 days. Picked him up yesterday morning. Vet said this was probably "triggered by the shots and the bacterial infection." He is also trying to rule out some "other conditions" or causes. He doesn't want me to worry about these "other" possibilities right now. We will take him back in a few days for more bloodwork. He is currently taking Prednisone 20mg-2X a day, Tetracycline 500mg-3X, Vitamin K1-1X and 1 tsp of Lixotinic SA 2X daily. He is still very thirsty, his gums are white, he's weak, depressed and won't eat. He also appears to be larger, perhaps swollen in his stomach. My heart breaks as I watch this beautiful, regal, once healthy and full of life creature trip and stumble just to get up. In my gut, I feel this was all caused by the vaccinations. In fact a similar thing happened to a Border Collie we had about seven years ago. We didn't have any knowledge of this at the time but the symptoms (after vaccination) are very similar. That dog died after several months on and off of Prednisone. I am trying to keep an open mind (about other possible causes/underlying predispositions, etc.), but I feel anger with my sadness. I feel like there is some kind of conspiracy to under-report or down play the connection to the vaccinations. I think this is probably occuring more than pet owners or even vets may know or maybe the just downplay that explaination. What does anyone else think about this?

Allison Texas

Allison, My Cranky had vaccines 6 months prior to IMHA. However, he had interceptor 3 days prior. But my Vet who saved Cranky's life said there are alot of theories. Cranky is a poodle and they are predisposed to it. As well as Cockers, Springers, Old English and I think some other breeds but these are the ones that stick in my mind. Also, Zinc Oxcide triggers it as well as weed killer and fertilzier. I am sure some of the others on this board have other thoughts. I also no longer clean with chemicals as my vet said this can trigger a relapse so I clean with vinegar. Those are just my thoughts. I also went on vacation 1 month prior to IMHA but Cranky has a nanny who stays with him in our home and has since he was 6 months old but stress can also cause this so who knows as my vets says sometimes it just because. Everyone on this board has you in thier thoughts I can assure you and its a great place for support and information. Teresa and Cranky.

Teresa Smithfield Ky

Allison, My TC is a shepard mix, between 9-10, we don't know his exact age as we apopted him from a shelter at around 18 months. The first time he had IMHA/AIHA was back in January, but our vet never told us it was IMHA, just that he had a condition that caused his body to become anemic. He recovered with the predisone and we took him off all medication in Feburary. This September 4 weeks after his vaccines and 2 days after his Heartworm pill he relasped. Had I known then what I know today about this disease I would never have vaccinated or given flea or heartworm. After three transfusions, TC is home and slowly recruperating. We are now taking him to a Specialty Vet who knows more about the IMHA. Currently he is on 40mg of predisone 2x a day and pills to protect his stomach, a pill and pumkin for loose stools and milkthistle for his liver. We take it a day at a time... Best to you and your dog....it is a long and tedious battle but they can regain their health. Visit Joanne's site Meishas Hope, it really helped me.

Wendy Tampa

My 7-1/2 year old Miniature Schnauzer, Gus, was vaccinated with DHLPP booster and rabies during the first week of February 2007. He was diagnosed with IMHA/Evan's syndrome on June 29. I had given him HeartGuard around 10 days prior to his diagnosis. Looking back, I believe there were signs of a possible immune problem during the months prior to Gus' diagnosis, but I didn't realize that anything was wrong. He was treated for a 'hot spot' on his face in December 2006. After that, I noticed that some of his toenails were splitting, and thickened skin on parts of the pads of his paws - but when I called this to the attendion of the vet tech when he was vaccinated in February, she laughed it off and said that Gus had 'old man feet,' and didn't call it to the attention of the vet. I've since read that this could have been a sign of an immune problem. I noticed that Gus's body shape was changing - but I had been feeding him less food and mostly homemade food, because I was trying to help him lose a few pounds. I thought he was losing weight, but the scale didn't change when he was weighed. Now, I think the change in his body shape may have been muscle wasting from immune disease, but I didn't know at the time. Also, his hair seemed to begin turning grayer after he was vaccinated. I've looked back at photos that were taken of him between Christmas 2006 and when he became sick in June, and I believe there is definitely a difference. Many of us feel guilty, because we didn't notice or catch things that we feel we should have. But none of us ever heard of this disease until our precious dogs were diagnosed with it. So we had no idea what to look for. If I could go back to February, I never would have had Gus vaccinated. Maybe I would have agreed to the rabies vaccine, but definitely not the DHLPP booster. Again, I wasn't aware at the time, that this probably wasn't necessary for Gus, that that it might possibly trigger an immune reaction. Three of our other four dogs were supposed to receive booster shots during the last few months, but I declined. I've decided that two of our dogs, who are seniors, will never be vaccinated again. The other two dogs, who are younger, will be vaccinated every two to three years. Sue

Sue PA

Despite the evidence of various pet treatments that result in AIHA the pharm. companies have done nothing to warn patients and vets. So this is just another example of having to protect yourself because the veterinary care delivery system all to often doesn't provide the information and protection that should be automatically forthcoming. It should be with some kind of required readable patient information insert that should acompany your vet's communication to you prior to any vaccination, heartworm or flea preventive treatment. Most send e-mails these days reminding of appointments, etc. More important would be revealing adverse effect data. Have any of you seen such info.? I doubt it. Jan

jan philly

Allison: Our kid developed IMHA about 3 weeks after her most recent vaccinations. There still exists the possibility, I suppose, that another vector could be a factor in your kid or my kid's case - it is very, very difficult to prove or disprove. However, when I realized that Vax could be a vector, the so-called "light went on". Obviously, there's more to our story but you get the idea. Lola will NEVER be vaccinated again. Ever. Best of luck! TBO & Lola

Tim CA

I NEVER give more than on shot at a time and wait at least six weeks between shots, We gave our Emmy a "gang shot" and she died of AIHA several weeks lkater after a hard six week fight. It may be inconvenient to have to make several trips, but it is definitely worth the extra trips in the long run!!!

Jack NH

We have all been there. vaccines are very likely cuplrits. My note to add is that the pred dose seems on the lowish side for a shepherd and the beginning of IMHA....1 mg per pound per day divided into two doses is the minimum on Joanne's webiste. My maltese was getting closer to 2 or 4 mg per pound the first few weeks. I'd have to check records to make sure. Good Luck, Mary and Missy in Tx

Mary Tx

correction I did find one reference to pale gums which made me nervous. I did take her to the vet weekly for her blood checks while we were treating her for the demodex. I used the ivermectin because alternative treatments seemed worse...and the possibility of it turning into widespread demodex was not an option. While the mange was localized since she is still on the pred. it is likely that she needed help to get the mites under control. I think it is just what you are comfortable with. Most vets will probably tell you it wasn't the heartguard or interceptor. They've been getting this since they were puppies in most cases and never reacted until they were 3 or 4? Most cases of IMHA we never know why it happens or what triggers it.

Mary Tx

Thank you all for your comments and support. I will be taking him to the vet again Wednesday. I'll ask about the Prednisone dose. I think he seems to be improving..kind of comes and goes.

Allison TX

I'm just (fairly desperate) really. Sonny is a 5 year old border collie born of working parents. After his 'booster' vaccination last year he became unwell - just for a few days. Lethargic and generally not himself. He was rested for several days and seemed to recover. Some 3 weeks later I took him to the vet. I told her I couldn't put my finger on it, but that I just knew he wasn't well.(he'd laid down flat on his side during the consultation which was certainly not normal Sonny behavior.) The vet checked him over and said his temperature was a 'bit high'so he was given a shot of steroids and antibiotics.Some 6 weeks later he started to pass orange coloured urine and that same day hid himself away under a bed.the same day he refused all food. During the night he became almost completely bloodless, he was dying in front of me. After an emergency visit to the vets - his PCV count was 10, with agglutination of the remaining cells .He survived with blood transfusion's, dexamethasone and azothiaprine medication in place. Over the last 12 months his medication was gradually reduced. A blood test 3 weeks after stopping all medication showed a dropping in his platelets. This was 150 (instead of about 200) 2 weeks later it had become 50 and 6 days later 5. At present he's gone back to 35mg of prednisolone and 25mg of Azothiaprine a day. My question, (and it's certainly not one that my vet is prepared to answer, is that long term is this a problem that will, ultimately be cured, or am I just being extremely selfish and not giving him the quality of life he just deserves so much. I'd really like to hear from other people who may have found themselves in this heartrendingly dreadful situation.

vida(sonny's owner) cornwall uk

Vida, I am so very sorry to hear of your dear Sonny's illness. It sounds like maybe the medications were reduced too fast or maybe Sonny is one of those dogs that needs to be on a lifetime maintaince dosage of one of those drugs. That is true for many dogs who suffer from AIHA/IMHA or ITP (the platelet version of AIHA/IMHA). If you not read my Web site on AIHA/IMHA as yet http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/ you might want to do so. Be sure to follow the links on the first page to many other sites on AIHA/IMHA that will be very helpful to you and do read the SUCCESS STORIES pages. They will show you what has worked for other dogs in terms of treatment options as well as give you a lot of HOPE.

Joanne MN

Vida, I am so sorry about your Sonny. Currently, my German Shepherd was diagnosed with AIHA. I had never heard of this before about 2 weeks ago. But we had a similar experience with a previous dog back in 2000. He was my husband's 9 yr old Border Collie. He too was born from working parents. The dog was physically fit and active one day...then a short time after his vaccinations, he began a decline, similar to what you have described. I do not recall all of the exact details from that time. I do not believe our suspicions at that time were peaked about vaccinations being a possible cause. My husband was especially grief-stricken, as his "Claude" was one of those "once in a lifetime" dogs. Going through this again with this current case has brought back up what happened to his Border Collie. It wasn't until over a year after we had to put him down that we read an article somewhere, linking the shots to this condition. This time, we are at least armed with some knowledge of what we are dealing with. That helps a little with the uncertainity and confusion (as does talking to others in similar situations about this problem). From what I can tell, by reading others stories, is that it's basically a "one day at a time" type of condition... which it sounds like you know, if you have been going through this for 12 months. So, for the shorter answer to your question: The situation with Claude only lasted a few months. I believe he was not properly diagnosed or treated. If I recall correctly, he was on an initial dose of pred., seemed to improve and was then taken off of it - he relapsed and declined rapidly. We had to make that hard decision. I do not think you are being selfish. You will know if your dog is suffering or not. If he is not in any pain and you are able to keep him comfortable and calm...then that should be enough for him. Dogs are not hard to please. I am sorry you have to be in this place right now. I know how you feel and so many others do as well. Every situation is a little different. Only you have the answer. Trust yourself.

Allison TX

I am so sorry your dog is sick. On Oct. 16, 2003 i lost my just turned 4 year old golden retriever, hunter, to AIHA 6 weeks after his proheart6 injection. taht was a 6 month heartworm preventative. Ten months after Hunter's death the FDa had them pull it from the market because of the high number of deaths and AIHA wa one of the leading causes of deaths. I had never heard of it before my hunter was diagnosed and now i am hearing of it to often. At the time of Hunter's diagnosis my vet was seeing a case every 1 to 1 1/2 years and now he sees several a year. he believes dogs are being over vaxxed and has gone to the 3 year schedule. In hind sight we realized Hunter had not been quite himself for a couple of weeks before diagnosis. It was just little things, but when added together we saw the picture. I was in contact with several who lost dogs to AIHA folloiwng PH6 injections and none of us had ever head of it before our dogs wre diagnosed, and almost all of us, in hindsight, reazlided our dogs had not been quite right for a few days up to a couple of weeks. And we all felt so guilty that we didn't realized something was wrong. i know now we should not have felt guilty. It was jut so many little things for the most part that it didn't seem like anythign rong. Hee are great thoughts for you dog to come around and go into remission. Sandra

Sandra Slayton Ingleside

Many thanks to all who have made an input in reply to my first posting. It's very comforting to see that people do care enough to reply, and that we aren't completely alone trying to cope with this illness. My present thoughts are that is it, after the initial vaccination programme really necessary for vaccines to be repeated every year? Isn't there a level of immunity which develops anyway? We wouldn't keep vaccinating ourselves , or our children year after year for measles, mumps and rubella. Reading other emails it seems to be a recurring theme that the immune mediated haemolytic anaemia + / - thrombocytopaenia disease occurred shortly after a vaccination. Sonny, at the present time is on a fairly high regime of steroid and AZT medication. He seems to be happy, and to all outward appearances looks and behaves as if nothing were wrong with him at all, except for being very thirsty, panting for periods of time soon after he's taken his AZT especially. At the moment I'm just living each day as it happens, my determination being that we will make everyday as good as we can for Sonny. To all the other dog owners in a similar position my heart and thoughts go out to you, it's a very hard place to be in and we can but hope. Vida. 'Sonny's owner'

vida cornwall UK

Vida, You are indeed a smart lady to think up this stuff on your own. You are not alone in your gut suspicions. It used to be that people who challenged the thought process of routine vaccination "boosters", like myself, were considered nuts and potentially dangerous in our opinions. There are still some people who are really extreme in their beliefs... that vaccinations should not be used at all. I tend to fall in the middle and find that Dr. Jean Dodds has the best advice for me. Read a couple of articles (below) by Dr. Jean Dodds on this. You can also do some research on your own by looking for current vaccination recommendations by veterinary universities in the US. You will see that most of them have "relented" and now recommend a 3 year cycle between boosters, rather than a yearly. They also recommend that vets should have more control over recommending a vaccination protocol depending on the diseases prevalent in their area and the condition of the dog. An older, house bound dog probably doesn't need to have vaccination boosters again, except for those required by law, which is usually rabies. If you have a young dog that you use for hunting and retrieving, thus in contact with many wild animals and outdoor areas, your vet might recommend more robust protection esp against diseases like leptospirosis or lyme. However, these two vaccinations have been shown to not be as effective as desired in actual protection. If you show your dog and frequently kennel them, almost all vets will recommend kennel cough (bordetella). If you are a breeder and frequently have a kennel full of puppies, then there would be strong recommendations for parvo. If you live in an area in CA where there are some serious rattlesnake populations, there is a new vaccination protocol that is supposed to lessen the severity of snake bites. Distemper is still a killer, but you will see that Dr. Dodds feels that there most likely is a lifetime benefit from the original series given to puppies. In the end it comes down to doing your own research and making your own mind up as to what to do. You also have to follow any local or state regulations. Patrice Dr. Jean Dodds' Recommended Vaccination Schedule http://www.weim.net/emberweims/Vaccine.html Immune System and Disease Resistance W. Jean Dodds, DVM http://www.critterchat.net/immune.htm

Patrice New York State

Vida: When Shadow wss diagnosed with AIHA (on October 19), her vet broached the subject of vaccinations, telling me that Shad should never, ever receive another vaccination. He didn't outright say that vaccinations caused her AIHA (and, I think it's unlikely that they did, since she'd been vaccinated five months before the onset of the disease), but his cautionary remark certainly suggests that at least he thinks there's a link between over-vaccination and AIHA. Another vet that Shadow has seen said what you did: we over vaccinate our dogs. We humans get our vaccinations when we are young: then we get boosters several years later, if ever. Dr. Jean Dodds recommends following the same protocol with our dogs. She recommends that puppies get three parvo/distemper vaccinations, one rabies vaccination and a booster a year later (with the rabies vaccination being given at least three weeks after the parvo/distemper). Thereafter, she recommends taht dogs be given a titer test and vaccinated only if they do not have sufficient antibodies to protect them agains the common ailments that afflict dogs. That's certainly what I'll be doing with Shadow's three "siblings". And, as recommended, Shad will never have another vaccination. And, all three vets that have treated Shadow say that they are seeing more and more dogs with AIHA, and the AIHA is becoming harder and harder to treat. They used to give an AIHA dog prednisone. Now, there's a whole cocktail (pred, cyclosporine, imuran, vitamin K1, soloxine) that's used to treat the disease, depending on the secondary affects a dog is suffering. Best of luck to you and Sonny! Sandy

Sandy Utah

Sadie is a 15 year old collieX. All her life she has suffered with EPI and has been taking Panzym for it. During her later years, she developed arthritis and the vet put her on Rymadil. After a few years on this, they then changed her to Predno Leucotropin. Her back legs have always been weak but she now cannot get out of her bed. Just recently she has lost alot of weight, her muscles have wasted away and she does not want to eat but is drinking excessively. The vet took a blood sample - her red cell count was low as was her white count. Her bone marrow is not producing platelets. Her internal organs were ok. They did an x-ray but there was no evidence of any tumour, however the density of her bone was virtually nothing. I mentioned AIHA to the vet but they didn't seem to think it was the cause. They said because she had been on steroids for most of her life, and her age, that this was why she was ill. Would a blood transfusion/prednisone make any difference to her? Would the Prednisone worsen the bone marrow? as we are at the point of making a decision to put her to sleep. Any advise please?

Natalie UK

I had a similar conversation about vaccinations with my dog groomer a few months ago. She tells me that a lot of people in the show dog world DON'T vaccinate their dogs every year. They have their initial puppy shots but not the annual boosters. There was also a study done comparing the immunity of dogs who had annual booters and those who didn't. Apparently the results showed very little difference between the 2 groups. I don't know if the full results are available in any form, but I'll ask next time she comes to groom my dogs. Sue

Sue northants UK

Sorry, forgot to mention that she is anaemic.

Natalie UK

I have not posted for a while but will update you briefly. We lost our gorgeous Georgie in July after battling AIHI for 6 months. She became ill two weeks after her vaccines, she was only 5. We now have 2 dogs Jess ans Sox(one could not hope to replace Georgie but the two are doing a fantastic job!!)who are insured with no limit just incase lightening strikes twice!! AIHI treatment costs a fortune. Having said that, I don't know if I would go through it all again for the family's sake and the dog's. Georgie seemed happy but by the end her two front legs were failing and we had to take the decision to put her to sleep. It still breaks my heart now and I am crying as I type this. I miss Georgie every day. The funny thing is whilst the drug company will not accept responsibilty, they have offered to pay half our outstanding costs as a gesture of good will. I have had the two puppies vaccinated but the stress was terrible. I could not relax for weeks just waiting for the signs. I still look now, checking gums almost daily. I doubt we will ever escape the shadow of AIHI and I am unsure if I will vaccinate again. I do not have to decide until the summer but am still unsure what to do. Each case is so individual. If you want to email me Natalie I don't mind. There are only a few of us from the Uk and time differences can make a difference. Steph

Steph Wales

I have just come across this thread while searching for more information on anaemia and am reading with interest. Meg (our 14 year old border collie) hasnt been herself for a few weeks now (very lethargic and generally not happy). we spoke to the vet who obviously thought we were worrying over nothing (although who knows their dog better than the owner really?!). Anyway, a week ago she stopped eating completely. I've tried everything but she won't eat. Took her back to the vets and blood tests show she is very anaemic. They had her overnight on a drip to get some fluids in her, and she is back at home with us now. She goes tomorrow for the day for XRays and an Ultrasound to check if its internal bleeding. Obviously we are worried sick and just waiting on these tests tomorrow. She still won't eat though - I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on what we might be able to tempt her with? (tried every type of meat, vegetable, rice, dog food this week!). P.S. She had her annual booster only a few weeks ago.

Laura West Yorkshire

I wish I found this site a long time ago. Maybe I could have done something different for Sadie. Unfortunately we had to have her put to sleep on Monday, and we are finding it very hard to come to terms with her death. We had her for nearly 14 years after rescuing her from a dog sanctuary. She was our beautiful baby girl and we will never forget her. Thank you Sadie for giving us your love and companionship. xx

Natalie UK

Laura - Sadie was much the same as Meg. We tried Sadie with mini cocktail sausages and the tinned hot dog sausages in brine (heated them in water tho). Obviously each dog is different and Meg might not want either of these. I hope you find a resolution to her anaemia. Best of luck - Natalie

Natalie UK

Natalie, I was so sorry to read you had to put Sadie to sleep. We had to do the same with Georgie in July. I felt so raw and desolate. I really struggled for quite some time. I hope you are able to look back on happier times soon. Take care Steph

Steph Wales

Laura, You might want to start a new thread so you can get some hits from the very knowledgable people on this forum. Your dogs symptoms sound like aiha...I hope it's something simpler for your sake. Make sure to mention aiha to your vet in case they aren't familiar with it. If they don't know how to treat it go to a specialist. The first few days are critical. Good luck to you.

nicky gvaz

Allison: Are you back? I hope so, because your rant expresses so many of our frustrations/feelings. And your being back means that Popeyes back! I say that knowing that Shadow was diagnosed 5 months after her last boosters and a month and a half after her last topical treatment for heartworm and/or fleas. I wish I had something to point at as to why she came down with/how she contracted this dreadful disease, but I don't. But, I relate to your rant (which was too mild, given the circumstances and the roller coaster we and our kids have been put on). Something happened to make our dogs go from circus-quality (God forbid any of them would lead that life) playful pups to lethargic loads overnight. With the help of this forum, our vets, the VTHs, the (dare I say it) pharmo cos, and us, we CAN overcome this; find a "cure" for our dogs; and prevent any other dog/"owner" from ever contracting this disease/put on this roller coaster. We have AIHA dogs. We HAVE to dream big and rant BIG. Otherwise, we won't share enough ideas/experiences to overcome this. Cyber hugs to you and Pop; cyber kisses from Shadow to Pop. Sandy & Shadow

Sandy UT

Pop is doing well, thank you. We pray this continues

Allison Tx

My dog Samma was diagnosed with IMHA 6 months ago. We lost him on Friday to a sudden heart attack. I know what you all are going through and it truly is a roller coaster of emotions. We will all miss Samma, and will support the Morris Foundation in their research in finding a cure for IMHA. God, i can relate to checking gums! My 2 year old son even does it!

amy NJ

Amy, I am so very sorry to hear of the recent death of your most beloved Samma. Please accept my deepest sympathies on your loss. If you haven't read the Loss & Grief page at the Meisha's Hope AIHA/IMHA Web site, http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/loss.htm as yet, I would urge you to do so when you feel up to it. 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. Thank you for your plans to support the Meisha's Hope AIHA/IMHA Fund #338 at Morris Animal Foundation: http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/newhope.htm Doing so is a wonderful way to honor Samma as well as help to find answers to the many questions that surround AIHA/IMHA. Once again my deepest sympathies to you on your loss. Be assured you are in my thoughts and prayers during these most difficult days.

Joanne MN

Our Pug, Georgia, was vaccinated approximately two weeks ago. Approx 1 week ago she began to act lethargic, lost her appetite, and began to experience tremors. We took her back to the Vet and were told that her white blood cell count was elevated but that was the only thing they could find wrong. They sent us home with antibiotics. 5 days later and she's back at the Vet and they're telling us that it's either a tick borne disease or AIHA. 1 day she was fine and the next she has AIHA? Any advice? Do the dogs that contract this disease experience pain? Money isn't an issue but everyone says that it's expensive to treat -- any estimates? What are the chances of recuperating any of the cost? Would appreciate any info.

Jim golfingbigjim@yahoo.com

Jim, I am so sorry to hear that Georgia has been diagnosed. You might want to start a new thread so more people can respond. The disease itself is not painful they are just really tired from the lack of oxygen. You could write to the makers of the vaccine but I would not threaten etc. Some times they do pay some of the expenses but don't acknowledge any liability whatsoever. Treating it can run into many thousand dollars each case is different, it is also very emotionally expensive. The most important thing is to have a Vet well versed in treating AIHA. Keep us posted. Penny

Penny Lytle Creek Calif

Jim, Here's how my vet explained it to me... My Aussie, Lola, was fine and then all of a sudden she wasn't. He told me that it most likely started a week out, but she didn't show any symptoms until it got super bad. Her symptoms were extreme lethargy and a fever or 105.6. I think when and how the symptoms show up might also depend on the breed. I didn't notice Lola was sick 'cause there is no keeping that Aussie down. In fact the day before we were at the dog park -- where she run's her heart out -- and I didn't notice anything out of the ordianary with the exception of her being a little grumpy with a puppy. My vet also told me that they don't know for sure what triggers IMHA, but they suspect vaccinations. The studies done suggest that dogs who get IMHA have been vaccinated within the last 6 months. The problem with the study is that dogs being treated for IMHA are more likely to be vaccinated because they belong to people who actually take their dogs to the vet. To know for sure if vaccines are the culprit, they would have to do a study with more dogs who haven't been vaccinated. I imagine that would include strays, maybe rural or farm dogs -- I imagine that population would be difficult to track, but I'm not a researcher. The holistic vet I went to the other day also agrees that we don't know for sure what triggers this disease, but he also strongly suggested that I limit her vaccines to every three years if I can and to spread her vaccines apart - don't do it all in one shot. Best, Connie and Lola the Aussie

Connie St. Paul

Jim, I forgot to include this in my last post. I've spent about $1,100 since September 1, 2007. Lola didn't need hospitalization or blood transfusions, which, if needed, would have been done at the University of Minnesota. My vet said that could have been as much as $3000. Connie

Connie St. Paul

My Hunter, 4 year old golden retriever, was diagnosed on Oct. 9, 2003, put in ICU and died Oct. 16, 2003. He was in ICU for 8 days and my bill was $2300, which is a lot less than it would have been in a big city. He had a ton of meds, two tranfusions of 2 units each time, x-rays, ultrasound, and this price did include a necropsy. It can be very expensive.

Sandra

I sincerely appreciate the feedback. Though expensive it doesn't seem as bad as I had expected. $20000 wouldn't be too much to get her well. My wife is completely distraught and my son cried himself to sleep last night. Does anyone know the type of vaccinations received prior to the onset of the condition? Georgia received Parvo and DHLP(?).

Jim golfingbigjim@yahoo.com

Jim, The first veterinary manual that I purchased about 15 years ago said when referring to AIHA that many cases of the disease had been seen after the parvo vaccine or exposer to parvo. That statment has since been removed from later veterianry manuals, but it has always stuck with me. I titered my non AIHA dog for several years and she had a good distemper titer but was low on parvo for several years. My vet "suggested" I booster her for parvo only but I refused to do so. At this point (she is nearly 10) I have stopped the distemper/parvo titers and only vaccinate for rabies every 3 years. I should also mention I have seen sevearal dogs relapse after the rabies vaccine but then again many dogs do handle that vaccintion well. This as with all issues related to AIHA/IMHA does not have a "one size fits all answer". However the more cases of AIHA/IMHA I see, the more I personally beleive that dogs who have had the disease should not be vaccinted again for anything, but once again that is just my non vet opinion.

Joanne MN

Jim, I forgot to mention that my own gal, Meisha, the inspiration for the Meisha's Hope AIHA/IMHA Web site http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/ relapsed after the distemper/parvo shot. She did fine later after the rabies vaccine. However, both my vet and I later decided no more vaccines for Meisha. My vet wrote us a rabies waiver and for several years we were able to license her without the rabies vaccine which is mandatory in my state as it is all 50 states.

Joanne MN

Joanne, Chance's titer report from Cornell just came back. Everything was fine except for the lowish parvo. But every year that comes back low. Dr. C and I talked on the phone for a long time about this yesterday. In the past, because of our Therapy Dog International affiliation, I have always had that one booster done. Now I don't want to do that, but still register him again. Stuff I have read by Dr. Dodds and many others indicates that a titer is an indication of antibodies to that particular disease. If there is any level of titer there, it shows the dog has been exposed in one way or another (vaccination or exposure to the disease) and has developed antibodies. A titer can't, and never will, be a marker of how *well* the body will respond if it is exposed to that particular disease. It only shows that it is *capable of responding*. So Dr. C and I believe that he does have immunity there to parvo, but how good would it be if he were challenged? So what we agreed to do was be very careful not to bring Chance to any locations where he could contact puppies (because of parvo) or to a breeder's home where parvo could be. We also agreed to avoid any contact with sick dogs that might harbor parvo. Parvo is a killer of puppies and can make an adult dog pretty sick. And, as always, his other titers remained high. That, of course, doesn't mean that he would respond with a high level of antibodies if he were exposed.... But to our thinking, it does indicate some protection. So our goal is going to be to keep him from being exposed to sick dogs. And now that it is 20 degrees here, snowing and will be like that for the next six months, I don't think we will have too much trouble!!! To many people, the titer panel is proof on paper of complete immunity. To others of us, it doesn't really mean that entirely. However, I think the $90 I spend to do it is comforting to us and to the vet. It's a "feel good" measure. TDI is now accepting this as "proof" and this is the first year that they are actually allowing the vet to make their own decision. Patrice

Patrice New York State

This thread was discussed between 28/10/2007 and 07/12/2007

Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) forum index

This thread is from the Vetnet archive. The live Vetnet forum is active now.