Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Rosie update

well another check up and holding her own at 37. Everyone have a wonderful Christmas with their pets and families. See ya all in the New Year.. BARK BARK!!! Pam and Rosie

Pam Il

Yeah Rosie! Always good to hear a beloved fur kid is doing well! Enjoy the holidays! Rita, Mike and Sheba

Rita IA

Good going Rosie! Merry Christmas, Pam and may 2011 be a healthier year for all our pets! B;essings, Cindi & Tori

Cindi PCB

Hi Rosie and Pam, Great news to hear your results. Enjoy the holiday Archie and Sue

Sue and Archie Cambs UK

Pam It sounds like you have gotten an early Christmas present. Yippee for Rosie! May the New Year bring you nothing but great news. Penny

Penny Lytle Creek Calif

WooHoo Rosie!!! Keep up the good work and tell your mommy to give you a treat and some scritches for me! Happy Holidays to both of you. Johnny & Tessy

Johnny

Pam So glad to read the Rosie is doing so well, wishing her continued good health. Cheryl & Ginger

Cheryl & Ginger Pinevile PA

sorry no snacks for this tubby girl. she is on a diet after weighing in at 18lbs her belly drags the ground. The Dr's say she is one wrong move away from a broken back or leg.. Ugh.. Gotta love those food hungry doxie's..

Pam IL

not sure if my new post is showing up? normally i see it right away on top and im not seeing it.. so heres her recent info and question. Okay Rosie's pcv is great 40. however I went to her old vet not the er vet I have been using becuz of cost.. One wants to lower her pred from 2 pills to 1 pill a day for 2 weeks and the other one had said to lower it just to 1.5 pills.. which one should I do?? Thanks Pam and Rosie

Pam IL

What's the amount in mg she gets daily?? Twice daily or once daily??? It's NEVER wise to cut meds by 50%!!! If it were me I'd go to 1.5 pills a day then retest after a couple weeks. She's been handling the meds alright??

Johnny

yes she handles the pred good. 5mg once in the morning and then 5mg at night.. so one is wanting to have 5mg in the morning and then half that at night.. the other is saying to go to 5mg a day.. so she's wanting to drop from 10mg a day to 5mg a day... which rosie did do once before she was on 15mg a day and went to 10mg a day was okay.. so im just not sure if a 5mg drop is good or not to do.. ugh..i hate when i have two opinions..

Pam IL

Pam, I do have some information that might be helpful to you in regard to the prednisone reduction. This information is from a Magazine called “Veterinary Medicine” subtitled clinical solutions for practicing veterinarians. This is the June 1999 issue. In the article called “Managing immune-mediated hemolytic anemia in dogs” by Stephanie J, Lifton, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM which was peer reviewed before publication we find the following information and I am quoting here: “The level of medication should be kept constant until the PCV is normal for at least three to four weeks. If the dog is having severe side effects from the prednisone (e.g. polyuria or polydipsia, panting, exercise intolerance) the dose can be lowered slightly after two weeks or another medication such as Azathioprine can be added to the treatment regimen. Remember this medication needs to be given two to three weeks to take effect before the dose of prednisone can be decreased. “Once the disease is in remission, the dose of prednisone can be lowered by 25% to 35% every three to four weeks until the lowest dose that keeps the disease under control is reached. This can be accomplished by either decreasing the dose or the frequency of administration (e.g. twice a day to once a day then every other day then every three days and so on.) If the dog is receiving more then one immunosuppressive drug, change the dosage or frequency of only one drug at a time.” End of quote. Even though this is a from a source that is several years old, this is the prednisone reduction schedule that many of the veterinary teaching hospitals follow in regard to AIHA/IMHA

Joanne MN

This thread was discussed between 17/12/2010 and 31/12/2010

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