Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Toy Fox terrier mix AIHA

My toy fox terrier mix(TIMMY) was taken to a local animal hospital after becoming very week,orange stools and pale pigement.After alot of tests were done to rule other causes it was deteremed as (AIHA) two days later recieved a transfusion because his pcv went down to 10.He had a slight reaction to the transfusion and fluid overload that went to the lungs.He recieved benadryl and lasix but he has labored breathing from the fluid.Vet was closing on a friday evening and had to transport him to a weekend critical care facility where they worked getting the fluid out over night.Upon arrival his pcv was 44 and saturday holding his own with normal respirations and fluid was gone.he looked good but now very yellow jaudance and very low appetite. After being rehydrated overnight is pcv is 36 and they don't know if its because of delution or it is droping.. and he is trowing up bile....He is on prednizone. This is where we are at today.....HELP>>>>> Terry

terry PA

I am so sorry to hear about Timmy, have you read Joannes site? Its a wealth of information http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/ Since you live in PA, we have several posters here with AIHA dogs who live in PA and I understand its a big tick area. Most dogs first diagnosed with AIHA are started immediatly on Doxycyclene which kills most tick borne diseases and then tested to confirm. There are 2 tests one which is done in office and one sent out that tests for other tick borne diseases which I highly recommend. It not uncommon to for the HCT to go up and then drop so dont let that worry you. Its extremely important you get his CBC results and start monitoring them. If Patrice our expert here sees this she will ask you a lot more questions. What is Timmys weight and dosage of pred is he on, is he an any other meds? Laurie

Laurie CA

Terry, I am so very sorry to hear your most beloved Timmy has recently been diagnosed with AIHA. While AIHA is a very difficult disease, dogs who have been diagnosed with it CAN and DO recover and go on to live happy, healthy lives. If you have not read my Web site which Laurie posted the URL to http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/ You might want to do so when you can. Be sure to follow the links listed at the bottom of the first page to other sites on AIHA/IMHA that will be very helpful to you and do read the SUCCESS STORIES pages. They will show you what has worked for other dogs in terms of treatment options as well as give you a lot HOPE. Many times prednisone alone will not be enough to get a dog with AIHA/IMHA into remission. When that is the case many vets will add either Azathioprine or Cyclosporine to the treatment regimine. Has your vet mentioned these medications to you? If not, it may be very wise to ask you vet about these medications and what his/her experience has been with them in the treatment of Canine AIHA/IMHA. You can learn more about these medications on the TREATMENT page of my Web site. That page also contains links to other pages that contain more info on these medications. I truly do know how hard this so be assured that you and your dear Timmy are in my thoughts and prayers during these most difficult days.

Joanne MN

Terry, Sorry to hear that Timmy has been diagnosed with AIHA. The most important thing is to educate yourself on this disease and finding a vet who has experience with treating it. I agree if they haven't teste for tick disease it would be a good idea to ask your doctors about that. Thinking of you and Timmy. Penny

Penny Lytle Creek Calif

Terry, I'm sorry to hear that your baby has IMHA. As Laurie mentioned, it's not uncommon for the PCV to drop following the blood transfusion as the immune system begins to attack the new cells. The tranfsusion in essence 'buys time' until the medications can take effect. Every dog is different as to when this occurs, but commonly Pred can 'kick in' within about a week, thought drugs like Azathiaprine can take 4-6 weeks to reach their benefit. Most vets will start these drugs concurrently. Be sure that your dog is on a high enough dose, I think the rule of thumb is 1 mg/kg of body weight but hopefully someone can verify, I'm terrible remembering these details, but my dog was on 120 mg/day, though he weighed 64 lbs. So, ask your vet. Your dog may need an anti nauseal, as Tiggs did vomit alot as well, and it was important to keep his meds in him. I would also add to inquire ASAP about a low dose of asprin- for a small dog like yours, you would likely need it compounded, but aspirin can save dogs from clotting, a frequent life threatening complication of IMHA. Tiggs was on about 20 mg/day of Aspirin, but again, he's much larger than your baby. I just read this little bit online: "The best preventive against PTE, disseminated intravascular coagulation, hypercoagulable state and tendency toward thrombosis in dogs with IMHA appears to be ultra-low-dose aspirin (0.5 mg/kg PO q 24 h). Dogs that received prednisone, azathioprine and ultra-low-dose aspirin had the longest survival times." It was from this website, http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=398258&sk=&date=&pageID=2 good luck, please keep us posted, this is a wonderful, supportive, and informative place to be. Don't give up! melissa and tiggs (1 year IMHA survivor)

melissa slc

Actually, after reading that article, I think the pred is 2.2 mg/kg...someone else will probably know for sure. Also, hopefully your vet has Timmy on a stomach protectant like Pepcid, these drugs are very hard on their poor little tummies. Hugs to you and your Timmy, please let us know how you are doing. melissa and tiggs

melissa slc

Terry, so sorry to hear that Timmy has this horrible disease. You're in the right place for support and guidance. An HCT of 44 after a transfusion is pretty high. Don't worry if it drops some. My dog Tessy's HCT went down to 9 and then she was transfused. Post transfusion her HCT only rose to 21% and then dropped back down to 17% before it finally started to rise (once the drugs took hold). It takes some time for the drugs to start working. Stay strong for Timmy. The first couple of weeks is the hardest. Some dogs have to have multiples of transfusions before they finally start to stabilize. Jaundice is common with this disease. Tessy was really yellow in the beginning but it went away fairly quick. She also didn't eat barely anything for the first week until her numbers started coming around. She was put on a drip so that she could get the nutrients to the body she needed. I'll be thinking of Timmy tonight and hope and pray for the best for him. Hope to hear from you soon with an update. Johnny & Tessy

Johnny Nova Scotia

Thanks so much everyone!!!I don't feel so all alone in here.I have been in tears for my little baby as it continues to be a rollercoaster ride... This is monday July 21 after i started this thread on timmy.I was able to bring him home yesterday He was very jaundice from what they call "icterus"and recommended putting him on pepcid 10mg 1/2 tab every 12 hrs.After getting him home he seemed a little more interested in eating some of his favorite things but, only a little. His breathing seems to be ok and he is drinking alot. temp is normal. He weighs 11 lbs now and is on prednizone 5 mg 2 times aday and doxycycline 100 mg 1/2 a tab once a day. and the pepcid.....He discontinued on Zeniquin and metronidazole... After the trans fusion his pcv was 48 and has steadily dropped in three days to 31 today.His next visit is tommarrow with his regular vet from fridays ordeal with the transfusion and i am going to mention the cyclosporine, azathioprine I have heard here.He seems stable as far as how he acts but i am concerned about the steady drop in pcv.The first comment on this thread mentioned "Patrice"as being the expert on this subject.Can anyone put me in touch with her?I appreciate all who has been so kind and helpful here.thanks for the prayers.Does anyone know which of the alternative drugs has a quick response? I have also heard the drug imuran mentioned...

timmy pa

Thanks so much everyone!!!I don't feel so all alone in here.I have been in tears for my little baby as it continues to be a rollercoaster ride... This is monday July 21 after i started this thread on timmy.I was able to bring him home yesterday He was very jaundice from what they call "icterus"and recommended putting him on pepcid 10mg 1/2 tab every 12 hrs.After getting him home he seemed a little more interested in eating some of his favorite things but, only a little. His breathing seems to be ok and he is drinking alot. temp is normal. He weighs 11 lbs now and is on prednizone 5 mg 2 times aday and doxycycline 100 mg 1/2 a tab once a day. and the pepcid.....He discontinued on Zeniquin and metronidazole... After the trans fusion his pcv was 48 and has steadily dropped in three days to 31 today.His next visit is tommarrow with his regular vet from fridays ordeal with the transfusion and i am going to mention the cyclosporine, azathioprine I have heard here.He seems stable as far as how he acts but i am concerned about the steady drop in pcv.The first comment on this thread mentioned "Patrice"as being the expert on this subject.Can anyone put me in touch with her?I appreciate all who has been so kind and helpful here.thanks for the prayers.Does anyone know which of the alternative drugs has a quick response? I have also heard the drug imuran mentioned...

terry pa

Hi Terry. Good to hear Timmy is home and ate some for you. Drinking and eating is a very good thing. You are right...Patrice is our resident expert. She really knows her stuff and gives excellent advise. I can give you a small piece of advise that many people in here will agree on. That would be to get into contact with Dr. Dodds from hemopet. She is world reknown with immunological diseases and has helped countless people deal with this disease. Check out her site... www . hemopet . org There is contact info there. If you e-mail her she will usually respond fairly quickly. The first time I emailed her she called me back within a few hours. I was so surprised. Make the email consise but to the point and leave a header like "urgent AIHA Case" or something along those lines. Include any info you have like blood work numbers and all other tests that were done. Be sure to leave your contact info for her. Hope this helps....I know it was a blessing for Tessy & I. Thoughts and prayers for Timmy. Johnny & Tessy

Johnny

Hi Terry, Just quickly (because I responded on your later post), 'Imuran' is a brand name of Azathioprine. Aza can take up to 6 weeks to take effect, the Pred can take up to a week. I'm not sure about Cyclosporine, we didn't use that drug, I'm sure someone else can help on that one. I recommend you contact Dr Dodds as per Johnny's email above. She comes very highly recommended. Good luck, the first couple of weeks can be very stressful and draining. Sam and Millie.

Samantha Geelong

Terry, I am so sorry you and your dog have to go through all this. Like Samantha said, the first few weeks are hell. I remember being in a constant haze, because I was so sleep deprived. It is a roller coaster, a marathon, not a sprint. So don't forget to look after yourself! When you can not sleep, get up and read the success stories on Joanne's site! With all the medication Timmy is on, it would be good to have a daily planner and write everything down. When Kahlu got diagnosed we were given one at the vet. I thought; do they think I am stupid? But I was sure glad I had it, because the first few weeks we kept adding medications. With the daily planner and a weekly pillbox that I re-labeled to be a daily pillbox, I only rarely forgot medication or made a mistake. Also, make sure to get a print out from the lab results. It might not mean a lot right now, but down the road it is good to see trends. Also you can post results and some people might be able to help. My husband even made a spread sheet for me and it was so good to SEE those values go up. I have no experience with Atopica, but I know it is common for the dogs to have an upset stomach. What are you feeding Timmy? Try low fat no grain and add canned pumpkin for fiber (not pie filling, just pumpkin) to his food. lot of people have started to cook for their dogs. I am sure that it not only helps the dogs, but also us. At least we can DO something! Make sure Timmy has lots of fresh water. I know it is a pain to let him out every 2 hours, but his body needs it. Before you go to the vet, make a list with all the questions. Don't be afraid to be a pain in the neck! It sounds like you have a good vet, they won't mind. We will be thinking of you and Timmy! Best wishes, Brigitte & Kahlu

Brigitte BC Canada

This thread was discussed between 19/07/2009 and 22/07/2009

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