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Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Question for Karen and Darcy
| Karen You might have read about my little beagle Nollaig who has prca if not see previous posts in the last 2 weeks. If you wouldn't mind Karen could you tell me a little bit about Darcy's disease, how long since diagnosis, is it prca, how many transfusions, drugs tried,how long to raise pcv etc etc... I ask because I have been told that if this last treatment does not work for Nollaig then there is no more can be done and we would have to make that awful decision...but I refuse to contemplate this and for all I know, I see that Darcy survived for a while at pcv 8% before she gradually improved,maybe Nollaig would do the same.That is why I would love to know as much as possible about Darcy's experience,would really appreciate it.My email link is above. Kind regards Kathleen and Nollaig |
| Kathleen North Ayrshire |
| Dear Kathleen -- I hope that Karen pops in today and can answer your question in a detailed response. I did some searching in the archives, because Karen used to post regularly as she and Darcy tried so many different regimens to try and help her turn the corner and stabilize. It has been a long, frustrating time for her, but Karen has hung in there. She had to learn a lot and adjust -- and she was always on the usual emotional rollercoaster that everyone facing this disese must learn to endure. Based on my readings of Karen's many postings, I think the key was bringing Dr. Jean Dodds in on the case. Dr. Dodds is a world-renowned specialist on canine blood diseases and vaccine reactions, and she had consulted on many, many IMHA cases on this forum. Karen spoke with Dr. Dodds fairly regularly, sent blood to California to be checked (specifically for a possible thyroid problem, which is common in beagles), and used Dr. Dodds' blood, from greyhounds, for transfusions. Dr. Dodds is not a big fan of oxyglobin, the artificial blood that usually is used in transfusions to give dogs a quick boost of red blood cells. I checked through the 2008 archive and found a few threads about Darcy, there probably are more in the 2009 archive. The archived threads are listed alphabetically, so check the "D" for Darcy and "U" for update and you'll find some of the threads on Darcy. As for specific meds, Karen's vets in North Carolina at various times had Darcy on prednisone, the basic IMHA drug; cyclosporine; azathioprine; and doxycycline. Karen also had Darcy on Pet Tinic, a stomach protectant, and other supplements. It sounds like she also used the anabolic steroid shots. Karen posted on 28 December 2008 that, at that time, Darcy was on 200mg Neopal (atopica), 5 mg Prednisone, .2 mg Soloxine (thyroid drug), Pet Tinic, and other supplements. I'm sending all the best to you and to Nollaig. I love beagles -- only breed I've ever had in my family. We lost our last beagle, Wiley, to IMHA in May 2005. She had some pre-existing medical conditions that severely affected her chances of recovering -- Addison' Disease and thyroid disease -- and she suffered a stroke three days in from which she never recovered. I didn't find this forum until after she died, and I always wonder if the wonderful people here, and Dr. Dodds, could have helped me in those first 48-60 hours so that Wiley would have had a better chance. I am so glad you found the forum, and please know that we're all praying for you and your sweet Nollaig. Please take care. |
| Brenda VA |
| Kathleen, I have sent you a detailed email. I failed to mention that we did the anabolic steroid shots in January, and Darcy was previously on stomach protectants while taking Atopica and Pred, as Brenda mentioned. Although Darcy did show some improvement with the steroid shots, we opted to do just a few for safety reasons. I believe the company that produces the anabolic steriods were linked to race horses that died after being injected. I don't know all the details, but if you decide to take that route I would advise you to check that out first. I know that Josh used them on Sway for a long time with great success. As for the stomach protectant, our holistic vet does not recommend Pepcid or other antacids. Brenda mentioned Dr. Dodds and the Greyhound blood. I would recommend it to anyone who is contemplating giving their dog a transfusion. She makes sure the Greyhounds are healthy and that the blood is free of any disease. Of course, since you are in Scotland, that might not be an option for you. I'm sure if you email Dr. Dodds, she will give you her recommendations on that. Karen |
| Karen NC |
This thread was discussed on 01/08/2009
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