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Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Question on exercise
| Well, Raven (my 11-year-old black lab) had her third PVC test in 3 weeks. She went down this week to 21 from 24 last week. My vet says he considers this "stable," but I was hoping to see improvement; he reminded me again that this could take months. He took her down to only one pred pill (from 1 1/2) since he said "dogs can be on this high dosage only so long." The side effects are fully in force this week -- she wakes me up once/night to be let out, and drinks a ton of water due to the pred. He said there was really nothing to do for the side effects, and to prepare to be on this for months. I'm with Josh...I honestly don't know which dog I'm getting...yesterday she seemed full of life, and today she seems tired and uncomfortable. I just want her to be happy and healthy. One question for the board: I've stopped walking her to help her recover, but any suggestions on how all of you regulate exercise? She's far more tired overall, but seems to have bursts of energy and being quite obnoxious (which I always see as a sign that she's "getting back to her old self.") This really is quite the roller coaster, isn't it? *sigh*... Thanks again for everyone's support and well wishes. Sharon |
| Sharon CT |
| Sharon, Is Prednisone the only medication Raven is on? Has the vet suggested adding anything more, like Cyclosporine? When Darcy's PCV went down to 15%, that's when she had to have a transfusion. Was at 13% and 8% when she had the others. When she was at 15% I could tell that she wasn't feeling good at all and needed help. Some dogs get used to the low levels and can handle them. You will probably be able to tell if Raven's PCV is getting too low. Just keep a close eye on her. Are you getting her levels checked weekly? I know your question was about exercise and I don't know enough to answer that. I have been trying to keep Darcy as inactive as possible simply because I knew she was in a weakened state. Don't know if this is the right thing to do, but right now I'm babying her as much as possible and not letting her run up and down steps. I wish you and Raven the best and pray that her PCV level increases. Karen |
| Karen NC |
| Sharon, YOu need to keep her quiet. I asked this of my internist whe Wylie was first diagnosed and she said a resounding no. Hopefully Patrice will chime in because I think she may be able to explain it, This is my laymans understanding of what my internist said. THat the red blood cells produce much needed oxygen in the liver so if your dog has IAHA, you are depleting these because when the dog is in exertion they use a lot of these red cells that shouldnt be killed. Wylie would pee the bed at nightnight when she was on high doses of pred. I had to put a plastic mattress cover on so I know the feeling. Do you have an ultrasound done of her spleen? My internist also said tumors are the most likely cause of AIHA in senior dogs. good luck Laurie |
| Laurie CA |
| That's very helpful. I have been keeping her pretty quiet so far, so that's good to hear. Yes, she's on azathioprine, doxycicline as well as the pred. She has had the ultrasound (twice), and nothing seems to be wrong with the spleen so far, so that's good news. Thanks again, and appreciate all the advice here. |
| Sharon CT |
| Dear Sharon, I can really sense how worried you are. I wish that I had a textbook answer for you. After all that is where I usually go to get answers for this forum. I can give you an answer from my heart this time. Chance is nearly 11 too. And we had many days when he struggled just to lift one leg up to pee... then he had trouble doing his other business. And then one night I tried to walk him across the street and he laid down in the middle of the street and wouldn't get up. I had to wake Mark up to come out and carry him back in the house. While I was determined to save his life, I was also determined that everything in the house be as close to routine as possible. I understand that dogs live by routine and a change creates uncertainty for them. So I stuck to the routine of the collar.... the leash... the bag of hot dogs and we would head out the door. Some days we would get half a block and he would look at me sort of befuddled and plop down. Cassie became very good at waiting and waiting. I would sit down on the sidewalk with him and Cassie would lay on my other side. I would pet them for as long as it took for him to get up again. I ALWAYS carried my cell phone in case he could not get up again. But I always urged him to get home on his own. Then I remember the night I came home at midnight and I got the leash and collar and he took me for a wild run/walk around the block on a 30 min walk! He was beginning to recover. I have always urged him to do as much as he possibly can. Prednisone can destroy muscle tissue and any activity is extremely exhausting because of that. But as he recovered it was essential for him to use his muscles and keep flexibility in his joints. In physical therapy we learn that bed rest is considered a disease in-and-of itself. Inactivity is not good for the body. So somewhere between nothing and too much is the right amount. Enjoy each extra day with Raven as though it were the last. Dance the dance of life with her. If she feels good, go with the flow. When she doesn't feel good, go through the motions of routine for her sake. She can sense when you are sad and may respond in like to you. Dogs live for the moment so I make each moment count. my best patrice |
| Patrice NYS |
| Hi Sharon I too took my Golden Ginger for a walks almost everyday. She was getting very depressed and her walks were one of the highlights of her day. I would let her set the pace and sometimes we only got to the end of our driveway. I always took my cell phone with me and my husband would go too and he would take Ginger back as soon as she slowed down and I would continue the walk with my other dogs. Ginger would get so excited when she would see her leash and since it was a big part of her routine before being diagnosed I decided to continue it. There were some days that I knew she just needed to rest or the weather was just to hot, but on most days she went walking with her tail a wagging. I would give it a try especially on the days she seems full of life. Cheryl & Ginger |
| Cheryl & Ginger Pineville PA |
| Hi Sharon, I will clarify myself, We did go for walks but I did not let her run wild like she is used to. She pretty much has almost the stamina she had from years ago so I had to reign that in and thats what the vet was talking about. Laurie |
| Laurie CA |
| This is all very helpful -- and some of you are amazing writers to boot! Thanks! Sharon |
| Sharon |
This thread was discussed between 22/10/2008 and 23/10/2008
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