Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - PRCA and diet

Hi My Saluki/Whippet girl isn't eating - she'll occasionally eat a bit of beef, an occasional biscuit, but nothing else at all. So to get around this, I am feeding her with a syringe - small portions, 4 to 5 times each day, and I'm hoping her appetite will sooner rather than later return to some semblance of normality. She vehemently dislikes being fed this way and I feel terrible for doing it. I am syringe feeding her the following: the basics are boiled brown rice, 1 weetabix and peas with either: free range chicken fatless pork Beef white fish scrambled eggs Does anyone have any other experience of which foods work best?? The Saluki breed as well as lurchers in general are very fussy eaters at the best of time. Her drug regime is now this: prednisolone 40mg x 2 daily, Atopica 100mg, clavaseptin 250mg x 2 daily, sucralfate 5ml x 3 daily, zantac 0.5 x 2 daily. Thanks, Claire

Claire Cumbria

Claire, Your diet sounds delicious. My guess is that when the Pred starts to really kick in, she will likely have a voracious appetite. In the meantime, she could be a little naseous. You could ask the vet about adding an anti nauseal for a few days, this helped us when Tiggs was very sick in the beginning. We also added the canned soft food Hills A/D to mix with the homecooked diet, and we were able to get it in with a tongue depressor. Good luck, you are a great mom, that food sounds great! melissa and tiggs

melissa slc

Claire, that diet sounds great. YOu asked on another thread about tick diseases and AIHA, here in the US is thought to be the most common cause of AIHA and therefore most dogs are immediately put on doxycyclene the antibiotic for tick diseases. I would definately ask your vet about this since you said this happened after a tick bite and does it hurt or help with red cell aplasia laurie

Laurie CA

Claire myself and my beautiful shih tzu phoebe have been fighting this diseast with the help of Royal Dick hospital in edinburgh and with the most valuable information from wonderful owners on this forum. this is the diet i have been given to phoebe to date and she has been steadily improving was pcv 15 when she was admitted to RD and just found out yesterday her pcv is 32 - we are cock a hoop with her progress - although slow its also steady in the right direction her diet consists of am chicken rice this is how Alistair Stuard and Marg Chandler vets at royal dick who have been treating phoebe have asked me to give to her:- for a whole day 100g chicken 1 hard boiled egg (yolk removed - contains phosphorus) 2 cups white rice tea spoon calcium carb (from health shop) quarter teasp lo-salt 1 forceval junior capsule (available from alliance pharmacy) 1 teasp oil (i use cranola oil avail sainsburys £1.83) 1 fish oil capsule x 3 per week I also give phoebe cod & broccoli, mackerel & broccoli, goats milk yoghurt for tummy, canned pumpkin for tummy upsets (available from website libby's canned pumpkin filling) and finally my latest discovery green tripe - fresh from grainger market in newcastle - maybe you have a fresh meat market in cumbria? everyone is commenting on how Phoebe is improving - it takes a long time, lots of love, patience and sleepless nights - but you know what - its worth every second. If you need any other information please do not hesitate to get in touch via my email. kind regards Gill & Phoebe it's great to talk to people in uk as most of the fourm are based in US - they are a fountain of knowledge and maybe we can follow their example!!

gill uk

Gil, so glad to hear Phoebe is doing okay, you mention pumpkin filling, make sure you are not feeding pumpkin pie filling and to use just straight canned pumpkin Laurie

Laurie CA

Hi Gill Congrats on Phoebe doing so well, you must be absolutely elated and thrilled to bits. It's so good to hear about success stories when rock bottom because it instills hope. I've just had a terrible day with my girl vomiting, prob side effect of large doses of pred and we started atopica yesterday. I just hope this treatment works. My vet has also been in contact with Marg Chandler and it's good to know that she comes recommended...though we haven't been referred up to Royal Dick. I shall print this thread out for the diet you recommend and get the ingredients + supplements asap. Thanks, Claire

Claire Cumbria

Hi Claire I am sorry to hear your dog is having such a bad day and hopefully tomorrow will be a better one. Could you ask your vet for something to help your girl with the vomiting. Have you had her pcv checked today and if so what was it? I know how it is when they don't want to eat and I too tried everything under the sun to get Ginger to eat and did not have much luck but after a few days she began taking treats and a few days after that she began eating her regular food. Hang in there and know that we are here to support you. Cheryl & Ginger

Cheryl & Ginger Pineville PA

Cheryl Shaunna's pcv was checked on Monday at it was 12 - the same figure as friday. She had specks of bloods in some of the vomit yesterday so our vet gave her a shot of anti-nausea drugs. She ate a small meal last night and hopefully we will have some success with her today. What do you put Ginger's recovery down to? Claire

Claire Cumbria

Hi Claire and Shaunna Hope shaunna is feeling better today. when I spoke to the lady who sells the green tripe she tells me that she has been selling this to pet owners for very sickly, poorly dogs for years - if you are unable to get it near to where you live, just send me an email and I will get some, freeze it and send it to you recorded delivery so you will get it the next day and you will be able to give it to shaunna to see if she can eat it. As always all furbabies our in my thoughts and prayers Best Wishes Gill & Phoebe xx

gill uk

Hi Gill I placed an internet order for forceval junior capsules through masterchemists and they contacted me today to say the line has been discontinued. No longer available from alliance pharmacy. It explains why the high street chemists had no supply of it either. Apparently, forceval adult is still available, but I guess the dose would be to high. Claire

Claire Cumbria

This thread was discussed between 04/08/2009 and 07/08/2009

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