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Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Swollen Stomach?
| I found this website by accident. Since my dog was diagnosed with AIHA 2 weeks ago, I have been trying to find out as much as possible. I am hoping someone can help. All of a sudden Buddy stopped eating (even bacon) and was very lethargic. When I took him in his count was a 14 and the vet said it looked like AIHA. Over the weekend it had dropped to a 9 and our vet did a blood transfusion on the following Monday--blood donated by a St. Bernard--too cute! Buddy's count came up to a 15 and by Wed. to a 17. We took him home. The following Sat. it was still 17.???-so a plateau. I am due to take him tomorrow for blood work. Buddy's personality is gradually coming back and he is eating, going to the bathroom etc. I think he has a lot of improvement, but his gums still seem pale.He is on Pred 40mg 2x daily, doxycycline 200mg, and Imuran 50mg. The vet had hoped he would have shown more improvement by now, but happy he hasn't digressed. I have noticed that Buddy's stomach has become very swollen. Has anyone experienced this? I was reading about Atopica--is that another treatment to try? Also, if Buddy's counts don't go up tomorrow, am I looking at putting him down? I am just trying to prepare myself. Thanks so much. Jennifer |
| Jennifer Southeast |
| sorry to hear about buddy :/ my dog has been holding a count of 16-28% for the last 13 months... so no, you definately have more options than just putting the dog down. i would definately suggest that you should see a specialist who has a grasp on and experience with treating AIHA, it is worth taking on because your pet can survive!! and also, in our case...she didnt start making new cells until 6 months into treatment, so its just different with every dog. wishing for the best |
| josh california |
| If possible please give Buddy some more time, especially since he is showing slight signs of improvement. If you have a chance read some of the success stories and take notice of how long some of them took to actually really improve and once they did they were just fine. We all know how mentally and financially draining this disease can be and believe me my charge card has really gotten a work out. If possible and he is showing signs of improvement try to give Buddy some more time and know we are here for you. |
| Cheryl & Ginger Pineville PA |
| Jennifer, I am sorry that Buddy has received this awful diagnosis. It is very important to have a Vet that is well versed in treating this. If you haven't visited Joanne's site yet please do. Be sure to read the success stories as well. http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/ Keep us posted. Penny |
| Penny Lytle Creek Calif |
| Thanks so much for your comments. I am feeling more hope than I have had in a while. I don't feel so in the dark. Our vet has been wonderful, but I guess I'm just now learning what questions to ask. I had never heard of this until Buddy was diagnosed. I am hoping for good counts tomorrow, but we will keep trying. Thanks for directing me to the success pages. They have been a great help. Buddy is such a vital part of our family, and I can tell you all understand how that is. I will post his results tomorrow. Jennifer |
| Jennifer AR |
This thread was discussed between 31/07/2008 and 01/08/2008
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