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Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - unusual immunoglobulin treatment
| My poor 5 year old english springer spaniel has been coping really bravely with IMHA for 4 months. Her pcv has been stable at 15 for about 7 weeks. She is coping well with the drugs but we have tried several cocktails of immunosuppresants over the months, none of which have had any effect (apart from helping to stabilise her maybe). Tomorrow she is being infused with human immunoglobulin. I understand that normally this would only be done with a dog that had a lower pcv and was in crisis. There really isn't anything else we can try and i don't want to wait for her to be in crisis and then to miss the opportunity to use it if she becomes too poorly too quickly. I have already decided not to have her spleen removed - i think! I made that decision a long way back and am now wavering! Please wish her lots of luck and i'll let you know how it goes. best wishes to you all. |
| libby south west |
| Libby I am sorry your dog has been diagnosed with IMHA. I don't know the answer to your questions but please post the dosage and the name of the med's your dog is on and how much he weighs and any supplements she is taking. By the way what is her name? Please visit the Meisha's Hope website and read some of the success stories and the normal protocol for treatment http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/ Let us know how she does with the transfusion. Don't give up there is hope and the goods news is she is holding steady. You can also contact Dr Dodds at http://www.hemopet.org/ Sending my prays for your Springer. Cheryl & Ginger |
| Cheryl & Ginger Pineville PA |
| Libby, Keeping you and your girl in my thoughts and prayers. Like Cheryl said when you have time please post some more info. Penny |
| Penny Lytle Creek Calif |
| Libby, There are several links to sites which have info on IVIG on the treatment page of the Meisha's Hope AIHA/IMHA Web site: http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/treatment.htm This treatment option has worked well for many dogs with AIHA/IMHA. Be assured you and your dear gal are in my thoughts and prayers during these most very difficult days. |
| Joanne MN |
| Libby, I am sorry to hear about your English Springer Spaniel. They are a lovely breed. I had one named Merry a long long time ago. I don't know all the details but it sounds as though you have been dealing with a case of non-regenerative anemia for a long time. My dog had this also. This can be very tricky to treat. It does sound like your vet has been giving similar treatments. The intravenous immunoglobulin your vet will be using is a human product. There were trials done of a specific canine intravenous immunoglobulin. The results were not straightforward and it was determined that the high cost and the ambivalent results probably would limit it's future use. My specialist offered this for Chance in the early days. Dr. Dodds advised me to wait until there were no other choices. She said that there can be a risk of a dog developing an immune reaction to the human elements and if it was administered a second time there could be an autoimmune reaction. So this may help stabilize your Spaniel the the short term. Be cautious if they want to try it a second time. Ask a lot of questions about the safety of this for a dog. Without knowing all the details about tests done for the spleen, it is hard to say whether removing it would help or not. It can sometimes be of benefit but the surgery is pretty extensive and a dog must be relatively stable to undergo it. I can tell you that my dog's spleen and a large growth were removed and that dogs can live quite well without one. please let us know how this has worked. my best patrice |
| Patrice NYS |
| It has been just over 2 weeks since she had her intravenous immunoglobulin treatment and it is the first thing that has had any positive effect. Her PCV has now doubled (previously 17) and her bloods are much improved. I took her for a short walk today, her first in 2 months. I let her off lead just for a few minutes. It was amazing to see her trotting around. I was starting to wonder whether I would see her do that again. She has also been quite naughty - someone has become a bit of princess over the last 4 months! Thank you all for your comments. I will certainly get some information together so that i am informed in case we do need to consider further treatment in the future. Best wishes all. |
| libby south west |
This thread was discussed between 18/08/2010 and 03/09/2010
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