Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Nollaig still improving!

Thanks for all your continued support and prayers on the recent loss of my Dad,just been trying to adapt to normal everyday life again and spending a lot of time with Mum. Nollaig continues to do well and although her pcv still too low it has continued to rise slowly and is now 25.8%(last time 6 weeks ago it was 21.3%)and considering the vets had given up on her she really is a miracle darling girl! Vet has now admitted that Nollaig's bone marrow needed stimulation in order to regenerate as opposed to suppressing her immune system with drugs that were not working at all for her,thank God he listened to me in the end, as that is what I had been saying for months now, so never underestimate your own gut feeling when it comes to your sick doggies! Good luck to everyone who continues to fight these diseases and I will continue to pray for you all and I kindly ask that you do the same for Nollaig. Take care Kathleen

Kathleen Macdonald North Ayrshire

Hi Kathleen Good to hear Nollaig is doing better, may she continue to do so with all our prayers and thoughts, along with yourself of course and your mother. I am really keen to know how the drug regimen for Nollaig changed as I am in somewhat of a quandary with Riley - too many views and not enough of my own knowledge. All the best to you Silka

Silka Melbourne Australia

Hello Kathleen, how wonderful that Nollaig is improving, especially with all the sadness you had loosing your dad. Wishing you, your family and Nollaig all the best, Brigitte & Kahlu

Brigitte BC Canada

Glad to hear Nollaig is improving. It may be painfully slow but at least she is moving upwards. We all have to be our dogs voices and am glad your Vet heard yours. Penny

Penny Lytle Creek Calif

So relieved to hear Nollaig is slowly climbing. Mom's do know best sometimes :) melissa and tiggs

melissa slc

Kathleen -- I'm sorry to hear the news about your father. Please accept my condolences for you and your family. I am glad to hear the good news that Nollaig is doing well, and I will continue to pray that she's onward and upward! I am so happy that you worked to learn about the disease and discuss issues with your vet, all to Nollaig's benefit. Please take care and let us know how she's doing. If I recall, this is her time of year . . .

Brenda VA

I am so glad you wrote Kathleen! You've been in my thoughts and I didn't want to write your email as you have enough going on. I am more than thrilled that Nollaig is steadily improving. This is wonderful news and I am so happy for you and Nollaig. You have been a wonderful support to myself and to everyone else and I thank you. I will keep you and Nollaig in my thoughts and prayers. Your a wonderful mum.

Mardi Nothern Calif

Silka Nollaig's drug regime at present is soloxine twice a day(thyroxine),ronaxan(doxycycline)once a day(this is used in case it's an underlying parasitic infection that has been known to cause bone marrow failure(and there aare more tick diseases and parasitic infections than there are tests so these can be missed by vets),she's still getting 15mg prednisolone a day but really don't feel this is helping as she was on this for 7 long months at a much higher dose and haad no effect.Also still getting iron twice a day and priadel(lithium a bone marrow stimulant) twice a day but again she had been on these 7 months with no response.She gets a laurabolin(nandrolone-anabolic steroid) injection every 3 weeks as this is a known bone marrow stimulant and a vitamin B12 injection every 3 weeks also. She is on 6 capsules a day of the F3+ biopreparation(proven to regenerate bone marrow). So the drugs/holistic treatments that were the ones that could be responsible for her turnaround(as they were started just 2/3 weeks prior to this) are soloxine,ronaxan,biopreparation and laurabolin(nandrolone)injection and vitamin B12 injection.Every single one of these were things I asked the vet to try(apart from the bioprep you get this yourself)as Karen who has Darcy had given me great advice regarding these drugs as she has had remarkable results also and Darcy was like Nollaig 7/8 months with no regeneration of red cells whatsoever blood transfusions only way to keep them alive.Nollaig's pcv dropped continually without fail 4-5% every week for 7 long months and the vet kept trying all different immunosuppressant drugs:prednisolone,azathioprine,cyclosporine(atopica),leflunomide and danazol and they had absolutely no effect on red cells whatsoever apart from the azathioprine and the leflunomide which reduced her white cells so badly that in the case of leflunomide she had a fatal infection and developed sepsis and nearly died after being 2 weeks in isolation. The thing most interesting was every single one of the drugs Nollaig is on the vet said he believed would not help her and in the case of laurabolin injection he said if danazol hadn't worked then it wouldn't but one of these or a combination of these has worked.I pray that this continues. How is Riley Silka I haven't been keeping up to date recently? Brenda You're absolutely right this is Nollaig's time of year,hence her Irish name meaning Christmas as Nollaig will be 4 on Christmas Day-a day I thought she might never see.Nollaig has become a very kissy affectionate girl with me particularly and everyone says it's because the two of us came through so much together and she knows her Mummy never gave up on her and fought and researched all the time to get her better,but Nollaig has to be given a lot of credit herself she's a fighter and a brave little soul and I thank God for helping her on the road to recovery. Kathleen and Nollaig

Kathleen North Ayrshire

How terrific is that!!! Nollaig is a miracle dog and she has come so far. I was so very Happy to read that she is improving. Cheryl & Ginger

Cheryl & Ginger Pineville PA

Kathleen, So glad to hear Nollaig is improving. Sure sounds like you've both had a rough time. You and all the others are in our prayers. Chris & Alex

Chris Pa

Hi Kathleen, fantastic to read about Nollaig. Hope one day you and Nollaig are featured as a Success Story, so that others can learn from your determination never to give up, with what is the hardest form to treat, non regenerative bone marrow failure. Often what the vets deem as appropriate such as Imuran, I think can do more harm than good in this form of illness. Kind regards. Julie.

Julie Australia

I'm sorry to hear of the loss of your father Kathleen. At least you have Nollaig there to comfort you. I'm so happy to hear your getting better Nollaig! Keep up the good work. My thoughts and prayers go to you and Nollaig. Johnny & Tessy

Johnny

What is your thoguth on lefunomide? This caused infection? My vet wants to start Ruger on this tomorrow am...thanks for your help

Jaime Parker

This thread was discussed between 30/11/2009 and 18/12/2009

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